Charlotte&Cooper: Undeniable Chemistry
by Col3725
Summary: An episode by episode look into Char&Coop. Involves all the characters but obviously focuses on Char/Coop; includes scenes we saw, scenes we didn't, and some of their inner thoughts *1x08 plus* Read/Review -CHAPTER 23-
1. Canyouhandleme441

I don't own anything...lines were lifted directly from the episodes.

read/review :)

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><p>Charlotte walks into Oceanside Wellness, early in the morning. Everyone seems to be tiptoeing around the office, avoiding eye contact, which she thinks is odd because she always thought everyone here was one big team, one big happy family. She has folders tucked under her arm as she makes her way to the conference room. Before she knows it, she's standing in the little glass bubble. She's in her comfort zone, being the boss. "Ok. Safe Surrender rundown. Montgomery," she hands Addison a cell phone, "you and Pete are the go-to-team." Everyone looks around the room at each other, awkwardly. Charlotte looks down at the folder she has open in her hands. "Am I wrong? That's what I have here."<p>

Addison looks at the cell phone in her hand. "No, that's right." Her voice fell. "We volunteered last week."

Cooper pipes up, still feeling the repercussions of his epic fail with Violet the night before. "Good times…happier times."

"So the cell phone, that's all they need?" Sam adds his two cents.

Charlotte continued, oblivious to the wandering, uncomfortable, stares the OWG staff was giving each other. "Well the next 48 hours, all calls placed to the Safe Surrender hotline with be rerouted to that phone. Don't stray far from the here or from each other."

"Fine…that's fine." Pete says.

"So these calls are from women who want to give up their baby?" Violet speaks in her therapist tone. The tone that makes anyone and everyone instantly listen to her and answer her questions.

Charlotte looks at Violet. "Well, most of them have given birth already. They can't or don't want to keep their babies." She pauses a little and walks closer to Violet. "They call from school bathrooms, friends' places. They're too scared to go to hospitals where they have to provide their name." Charlotte continues to explain the hows of the operation to the OWG team. She almost finishes her lecture, but remembers the most important thing. "And most important, don't forget the bracelets. One to the mother and one on the baby's wrist or ankle. If the mother changes her mind, she has two weeks to reclaim the child." She makes sure that Addison and Pete know what to do before leaving to go back to St. Ambrose.

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><p>Cooper saunters into the kitchen where Violet is buttering her bagel. He wants to talk about what happened, but clearly Violet's not ready. She looks up, "Still don't wanna talk, Cooper," and then looks back down at her bagel.<p>

"But I wanna talk."

"Well, there's a Worldwide Web out there waiting for you. I'm sure you'll find someone else who'll listen."

Addison walks in and stands silently in the corner. She begins to talk, but Cooper brushes past her and out of the room; Violet just gave him an idea: The Worldwide Web. Addison looks at Violet, confused, before getting the peanut butter she wanted in the first place.

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><p>Cooper is sitting at his desk, leaning back, looking intently at his computer screen. He's typing slowly, thinking about what he wanted to say as he clicked the keys.<p>

******DrFeelGood678:**** **_What are your hobbies?_

**Canyouhandleme441: **_Sex, sex, helping people, sex, and martinis._

****DrFeelGood678:****_I can work with that._

Pete walks in, flipping the Safe Surrender cell phone in his hand. Cooper looks up for a second and goes back to typing. "I think Addison has a date tonight." He paces back and forth.

Without looking up from the keyboard, Cooper says, "Good for her. She's getting back on the horse." He paused. "I'm about to have a date tonight."

**Canyouhandleme441:** _Good._

**DrFeelGood678:** _Halfmoon Bar…_

"Really?"

"Yeah…with Canyouhandleme441."

"Oh."

He looks up with just his eyes. "What? I don't believe in dwelling. I believe in getting back…on the horse."

****DrFeelGood678:** **_At 9._

"Well, I'll leave you to it," and with that he was gone.

**Canyouhandleme441:** _Ok_

****DrFeelGood678:** **_How will I know it's you?"_

**Canyouhandleme441:** _I'm blonde, petite, and I'll be in an olive green dress. And what about you? How will I know it's you? _

****DrFeelGood678:** **_I'll find you. You'll know it's me._

Cooper leans back in his chair and smiles. "I'm getting back on the horse with a petite, blonde chick in a green dress. Who needs Violet? Violet, who?" He leans back so far, he almost falls over.

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><p>Charlotte sits at her desk in her office and is counting the days on her calendar. "Has it really been that long?" She stares off in the distance. "It can't be, can it?" She rechecks her math and then sighs. "Damn I need sex." She opens her computer and opens up the message that's pending in the right hand corner.<p>

******DrFeelGood678:******_What are your hobbies?_

**Canyouhandleme441: **_Sex, sex, helping people, sex, and martinis._

******DrFeelGood678:**** **_I can work with that._

Charlotte smiles. "A man who knows what he wants."

**Canyouhandleme441:** _Good._

****DrFeelGood678:**** _Halfmoon bar at 9.  
><em>

**Canyouhandleme441:**_ Ok_

******DrFeelGood678:**** **_How will I know it's you?"_

**Canyouhandleme441:** _I'm blonde, petite, and I'll be in an olive green dress. And what about you? How will I know it's you? _

_****DrFeelGood678:****I'll find you. You'll know it's me._

Charlotte leans back in her desk chair and slams her computer shut. She can feel her vagina open just a little bit at the thought of her pending date. "I need sex bad. This man better know what he's doin'. I'm not in the mood to teach tonight." She stands up and walks out of her office.

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><p>Charlotte sits at the bar, looking down at the counter top. She's waiting for the bartender to get to her so she's fiddling with a napkin. "7 and 7…more on the first less on the second." She smirks and waits.<p>

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><p>Cooper walks into the Halfmoon Bar at 9 and notices the woman right away. "Petite, blonde, green dress, lots of skin…perfect." He paused. "Hopefully she doesn't steal my car." He laughs to himself and walks closer to the woman. He's about to sit down when he hears her voice. He knows that voice, that southern twangy voice. He knows it well. He walks a little over to get a good look at her face just so he's sure it's her. It is. He fights his own demons. Should he go or stay? He decides the latter and smirks. "This'll be good." He sits down next to her.<p>

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><p>Charlotte's looking around and playing with her hands, anxiously waiting for her internet date. She looks over and is shocked to see Cooper Freedman next to her. "Charlotte King, as I live in breath." He puts his phone and keys on the counter. He's not used to seeing her outside of the hospital realm. His hands are clasped together.<p>

She straightens up and she doesn't really want to interact with anyone outside of work. She's not one to mix those two worlds. She whispers because she doesn't want anyone else knowing her business. "Oh no you don't…that's saved." She tries to act like she doesn't know him, just in case her "real" date shows up.

He's enjoying this way too much. "Big date?"

"No. Far from it. I'm just meetin' someone." She paused. "Scoot. I don't want him to see you and think you're here with me." She turns her head straight ahead. The truth is she doesn't want anyone to think she's out with Cooper Freedman.

Cooper's sucking the inside of his lip. "What time he say?"

Charlotte glares at him. "Why is he still here?" She thinks to herself. "9 PM."

"I'm meeting someone at nine too….A blonde, petite, we met on the internet." He's looking right at her now on purpose.

Charlotte's head spins around and she stares at him. "What? No!" Cooper can't help but laugh. "Oh God. Oh my God." She pushes herself away from the bar.

Cooper puts his hand out to stop her as if that little gesture is going to make her stay. "We should laugh at the unfortunate coincidence. Laughing is the way to go."

Charlotte's still fuming. "Let's be clear…this never happened." She walks out of the bar.

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><p>The bartender puts Charlotte's cocktail on the napkin as Cooper watches her walk out of the bar. He definitely had more fun with that than she did. He spins the glass around and sticks the straw in his mouth. "Or the opposite of laughing." He takes a sip of the drink. "She cleans up nice." He laughs and takes another sip of the drink. "Wait, I did not just say that about Charlotte King." He shutters. "Why am I still thinking about her? God that woman." He throws the straw on the counter and chugs the rest of the 7 and 7. He orders a beer and then another and you guessed it, another.<p>

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><p>Charlotte leans against the elevator at Oceanside Wellness. She balls her hands into fists as she tries to forget the horror of last night. "Dr. Freedman, really?" She sucks in air and lets it out slowly as the elevator doors slide open. She stares at the floor the entire time as she walks to the exam room. She's avoiding all unnecessary contact at all costs. She knows Cooper well enough to know his practice is one incestuous family. She knows that everyone knows of her unfortunate coincidence by now. She's pleasantly surprised when Dell says hi to her and doesn't look like he's about to pee his pants from amusement. She continues to the room and opens the door. Pete, Cooper, and Addison huddle over the squirming newborn.<p>

Cooper swaddles the little baby girl in a blanket as Addison dotes over how adorable she is. "Circumstances of her birth…this is a very healthy baby."

"Ahhh, do you hear that?" Addison boasts.

She smiled as she entered the room, out of politeness, and little bit of happiness for the Safe Surrender baby. "Heard we had something to celebrate? You rescued a baby?"

The doctors turn around at the sudden other voice in the room as Cooper scoops the baby girl up into his arms. Addison asks something about where the baby's going and Charlotte quickly answers it. The faster she gets back to St. Ambrose, the better. Soon the room is empty….well not completely empty. Cooper is standing by the cotton balls as she stands awkwardly at the door, with one hand close to the door handle. She's thankful for that door. It makes fleeing much easier. Cooper looks at the cotton balls and looks at Charlotte. "So here's a question, cotton balls at St. Ambrose. Do you…?"

"Triple size…hospital grade."

He's rubbing two cotton balls together in his fingers. "Right. More cotton per ball."

She laughs self-consciously and turns towards the door. She takes a breath. "Bye, Dr. Freedman."

"Goodbye Canyouhandleme." He just couldn't resist.

Charlotte whips her head around and glares at him. "At least he didn't tell anyone," she thinks as she walks to the elevator.

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><p>Cooper sits in his office, tapping his finger on his desk. He pulls up the saved conversation he shared with a then unknown woman who went by the screen name of <strong>Canyouhandleme441. <strong>He leans back in his chair and twirls a pen around in his hand. He has his thinking face on. His eyes are bright as his mind swirls with ideas. He hasn't stopped thinking about Charlotte since their disaster of a date. Part of him wants to ask her out for a real drink, but the other part of him, is telling him to run, run very away from her. He doesn't know what to do, but once again, he's thinking about her. He pushes his chair away from his desk. He peers out of his office, and she's standing by the elevator. She is here again because the mother of the Safe Surrender baby reclaimed her child. He walks out of his office. "Here goes nothing." He lets out a breath and slinks up next to her.

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><p>Charlotte presses the button, hoping no one else bothers her. She sees Cooper coming towards her and she's quick to shut him down. She's not in the mood to deal with him now, or ever, for that matter, unless it's strictly business related. "I'm goin' home, Dr. Freedman." She refuses to call him Cooper, refuses to make her interaction with him, anything but professional.<p>

"Come have a drink with me." He says it so nonchalantly.

"What? No." She has no interest in mixing business and pleasure, but part of her is wondering why he's all of a sudden perusing her.

"Come on." He's a pushy one she notices.

"I'm not havin' sex with you just because I wrote some things on the internet. No."

"A drink…not sex, absolutely no sex."

The elevator doors open and they both step in. Cooper's still looking at her, trying to convince her to get a drink with him. Maybe it was the lack of sex or maybe it was his blue eyes, whatever it was, she found herself pressed against the wall of the elevator with his lips against hers. She claws at the wall as they heard the ding on the elevator. Charlotte pushes him off of her and she straightens out her shirt. Before the door opens, she hears herself say, "Forget the drinks."

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><p>Charlotte's lying on her stomach, pulling her hair away from her face, so Cooper can kiss her. It's hard because it's sticking to the sweat on her face. Cooper's in a plank position, hovering over her, kissing her…everywhere. They're breathing heavy. Cooper slides into the space next to her as they intertwine their legs together. He lies back on top of her and presses his face into her shoulder. "Can I get you that drink now?"<p>

Charlotte lifts her head as he starts kissing her again. "Not yet. Ask me again in two hours." Cooper and Charlotte roll over so Charlotte's on top of him.

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><p>Two hours and three encores later, Charlotte's holding the sheet over her naked body. Cooper is lying next to her, staring at the ceiling. Her toes are curled under and her hands are holding the sheet tightly. The tingling sensation hasn't left her body yet. She closes her eyes and lets out a puff of air. She blinks and looks over at Cooper. She can't believe she just mixed business and pleasure, and she can't believe she's in bed with Dr. Freedman. She doesn't have much time to think because Cooper starts kissing her neck. She knows she should stop him. She's gone too far already, but his lips feel so good against her bare skin, and his tongue. "Oh that tongue," she thinks to herself, "he can do some wild stuff with that tongue." Cooper disappears under the sheet. "Oh my God, what is he doin' with his tongue?" She feels him between her legs and she grips the sheet. She struggles to breathe as the feeling overtakes her. She relaxes and lets out a scream of passion. He kisses up her stomach and pops his head out of the sheet. "That's just scary," she laughs, but he presses his lips against hers and everything melts away.<p>

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><p>A half hour later, Charlotte is lying on her back staring at the ceiling. Cooper's asleep next to her. She thinks about leaving, and going home, but she can't bring herself to leave. She needed sex badly, but she wasn't expecting what she got tonight, especially from Dr. Freedman. She looked at the clock; it was 1:30 AM. She yawned and closed her eyes. She expected her insomnia to override her exhaustion. "Dr. Freedman, who would have known?" She smiled and was asleep within minutes.<p>

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><p><strong>AN: **this story will expand Charlotte's & Cooper's entire relationship. Once season 5 starts, I may continue it through then.

let me know what you think and tell me if there's anything you want more of.


	2. Bad, Dirty Cop, Kinda Guy

Cooper's looking down the hole of Maya's volcano. Sam's trying to get the thing to erupt with lava, but it's stubborn. They're waiting, but nothing's happening. They start talking about how they don't need any more office drama. After Cooper's flub with Violet, and Pete's sudden need to talk about his wife's death and standing up Addison without as much as a call, they can't afford the whole practice falling apart. Cooper's phone rings, and he smiles as he looks down at the name flashing on the screen. "Casual sex with virtual strangers. That's the way the go."

Pete's all for casual sex as much as the next guy, but Cooper's online dating has never turned out well for him. "Yeah and how's that working out for you?"

"Actually, it's working out just fine. I gotta go." He smiles wider as he thinks about Charlotte, naked. "Suckers. They don't know what they're missing." He walks away.

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><p>The next morning, Cooper's laying in his bed, with his legs spread out. The sheets are covering him just below his waist. Charlotte's laying at the edge of the bed with the sheet just barely covering her butt. He can't help but think she looks beautiful, but quickly dismisses the thought. This is casual sex. "Next time I wanna be bed cop."<p>

She looks at him like he's just spoken a foreign language. "Pardon me?"

"You know the whole dirty bossy thing you got going on. Don't get me wrong, I like it but as a male to species…" He sits up.

"Understood…still not gonna happen."

"Ok." Part of him likes her take charge attitude, but he's the man here.

"Now, unlike you Oceanside people, I still have a busy day. Patients, eh meetings, gotta find a new instructor for this new parenting class for dads tonight. So unless _you_ are applying to be my assistant," she kicks him playfully, "enough with the questions."

"God, you know with the lights off, I almost forget I'm having sex with Charlotte King." He pauses as she slips into his shirt. "Isn't finding a teacher for dad's class kinda small potatoes for a chief of staff? I mean a dirty, bossy, chief of staff?"

"No sir, big potatoes. One of the hospital's biggest moneymakers. Who wipe the floor when the other class is in town?"

"You have to be competitive about everything, right? You always have to win?" He looks at her upside down.

"Do you want me back tonight or not?" She slides into the bathroom and holds the sliding door.

"I wanna be bad cop!"

"You're not the bad cop type. Now yes or no?" She's hoping he says yes. She has some more itches she needs scratched.

Cooper flips over and looks at her up right. He wants to say no, but looking at her in his shirt, thinking about what they just did and what they did last night, he can't. "Ok, fine. Yes."

Charlotte smirks at him, knowing he's not looking at her and slides the door shut.

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><p>Charlotte unbuttons the shirt and watches it fall to the floor. She doesn't get in the shower right away. She leans against the wall and exhales. She hasn't spent the night in a man's bed in…she can't even remember how long. She's practically in Cooper's bed every night and every morning. She smiles as she turns on the water. There's something about Cooper wanting to be bad cop that makes her laugh. He's a teddy bear. She takes charge during sex, and he takes it. He doesn't have it in him to boss her around. Besides, she doesn't take orders from anyone. She places one foot in the shower, "Maybe one day, I'll let him be bad cop. He'll have to prove he's worthy of bossin' Dr. Charlotte King around first, though." She disappears into the shower, letting the water pummel her. She leans her head back and runs her fingers through her hair. She squeezes a dollop of his body wash into her hands and massages it into a lather all over her body. She takes a whiff. "Ahhh, Cooper." She smiles and leans against the wall.<p>

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><p>Cooper's lying on the bed face down. He wishes he was in that shower with her. He's imagining her covered in bubbles and he smiles in the sheet. He looks up and sees her purse there with a packet sticking out. He has his thinking face on as he pulls it out. Cooper looks through it and grins "This'll show her I'm worthy of being the bad cop." He pauses in thought. "And she's hot when she's angry." He smiles devilishly to himself as he stuffs the information under the sheet. He keeps eyeing the bathroom door making sure she's still in the shower. He likes pushing her buttons at work and in bed.<p>

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><p>Charlotte's doing rounds at the hospital when she spies the bulletin board. She curses silently and her eyes fill with fire. "That bastard." She thinks as she tears the piece of paper off the board. She goes to her office and sits at her desk. She stares down at the crumbled announcement in her hands and reads it out loud. "Parenting Class for Dads. Oceanside Wellness conference room, 1:30 PM." She tosses the paper in the trash and picks up the phone. She slams it back down. This is something that needs to be done in person. She stands up and stomps out of her office.<p>

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><p>Cooper's folding baby blankets, when Charlotte walks in. "So it's true?" He looks up as she walks up closer to him. "Had to see it for myself." She gets in his face. "You stole my dads, you took my class roster. I just had to refund $27,000 dollars. You know how that looks for the chief of staff?"<p>

"You see how it feels to be someone's bitch?"

"I see. This is a game to you."

"And it's not for you? Come on."

"You know what? We're off for tonight. Game over." Charlotte stalks out of the room. He's a damn good lay, but no one plays Charlotte for a fool.

Cooper watches her leave the room. She was upset and it was his fault, but he knew she'd be back in his bed tonight. She couldn't stay away for too long. "She'll come to her senses. They say sex is better when you wanna kill the other person, right?" He laughed and continued cleaning up the room.

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><p>Charlotte's sitting in her car, in the Oceanside Wellness parking lot. Her hands are clenched around the steering wheel and she's staring at some guy walking to his car. She bites her bottom lip and tightens her grip on the steering wheel. She still can't believe Cooper did that. No one crosses Charlotte King and gets away with it. She sighs and takes out her cell phone. "Am I really about to do this?" She searches in her phone for the name she's looking for. She's about to call him, but quickly comes to her senses. She slides the phone back into her purse. Charlotte pulls out of the parking spot and honks the horn as a woman runs out in front of her. She speeds off.<p>

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><p>Charlotte's sitting on her couch with a martini in one hand and <span>To Kill a Mockingbird<span>_, _in the other. She brings the drink to her lips and takes a sip. She notices that blue shirt on her bed. She walks into the bedroom and holds the shirt in her hands. She balls it up and sniffs it. The mixture of her perfume and Cooper's cologne overwhelms her. She grabs her purse from her bedside table and searches for her cell phone. It's not late, so she figures he's still at the office. She looks for his number and sends him a text. He sends her a text back within minutes. It says, "20 minutes, and has a smiley face emoticon attached to it. She hates that Cooper has this control over her. "No it's not him," she corrects. She just needs the sex. She waits a few minutes and then walks out of her front door and drives to Cooper's loft. She walks the long hallway to his apartment and rings the bell. She gives him a slight smile when he opens the door. She grabs onto his shirt and presses her lips to his. She pushes him to the bed and climbs on top of him.

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><p>Ten minutes later, Charlotte slides off of him, pulling the sheet with her. Sweat drips from their foreheads as the light from outside the window casts an orange glow over them. Charlotte swallows and licks her lips. They're both trying to catch their breath. "You said you weren't coming…over." He pauses to catch his breath. "And then, uh, that's game over?" He rubs his eyes.<p>

Charlotte's smiling. "Uh huh. Sex is best when you feel like you wanna kill the other person." She pauses. "You stole my dads." She has to laugh about it now.

Cooper lifts his head up and looks at her. "Yeah. That makes me a bad guy. A bad, dirty cop kinda guy."

"A little bit."

"So are we dating?"

A shiver goes up her spine, but she doesn't flinch. That word, dating, sort of freaks her out a little, but she says, "If dirty sex on a regular basis is dating, then yeah," anyway. She's not really sure what this is, but as long as it involves lots of sex, she doesn't care what he calls it.

"Ok, good. So does that mean I can be on top?"

"Never." She laughs. He may be man enough to be bad cop, but there's no way she's giving up being on top. She's the boss of this bedroom.

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><p><strong>please review :)<strong>


	3. Touchable Monkeys

**read/review :)**

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><p>Cooper's lying on his bed with the covers covering his lower half. He's listening to the shower as he's imaging Charlotte naked with the water dripping down her body. The phone rings, which sends Cooper out of his fantasy. "Violet…"<p>

"I thought we were gonna hang out last night?"

"Um, I was busy."

"Are you ever gonna introduce me to your girlfriend?"

"For the last time, I don't have a girlfriend."

"Ok, we get our bonus checks this week, and I say we blow it all on Menemba Island. It's Zanzibar, Coop. It's unsullied." She pauses. "Cooper? You listening?"

Charlotte walks into the bedroom, wrapped in only a towel. Cooper looks her up and down. "I'm gonna have to call you back." Cooper tosses the phone to the side and mentally unwraps the towel.

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><p>He pats the empty space next to him. "Come here to me…now." He smiles as he watches her rip the towel from her body and throw it at him. He quickly removes the towel from his face and she climbs into the bed next to him. She crawls on top of him and pushes her lips into his. Her wet hair drapes over him as she moves her lips down his chest. His phone rings under the towel, but he ignores it. He grips her ass and gives it a slight squeeze. He moves his hands to her breasts and gently massages her right nipple. She purrs as he glides himself into her. She bounces gently and she twirls his chest hair around her fingers. She tugs at his bottom lip and runs her hands through his hair.<p>

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><p>Minutes later, she's lying next to him, staring into his blue eyes. She smiles as he runs his hand up her thigh, under the sheet. She shivers as his hand gets higher up her leg. She curls her toes under as he slides his hand up and down. She tilts her head towards the clock. It's Sunday so she doesn't care what time it is. She lies back down and rolls on top of Cooper. Time for round two…this morning. If we're counting everything, it would be round five.<p>

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><p>The next morning, Cooper walks out from his office and into the front lobby. Violet's there and she's complaining about the paper cups. Cooper hands Dell the stack of folders he's carrying as the elevator dings and slides open. He turns around and Charlotte's standing there waiting for him. She has no expression on her face, but Cooper knows exactly what she's here for, an office quickie. He turns back to the front desk and Violet's showing him some brochures from Menemba Island. "Don't you feel drunk just lookin' at it?"<p>

"I don't think I can go away this year." He walks to the side with her.

"We go away every year."

Cooper looks past her to Charlotte, who's still waiting by the elevators. "I have a patient. We'll talk about it later."

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><p>He walks over to Charlotte and shakes her hand. "Dr. King."<p>

"Dr. Freedman."

"I assume you're here on important hospital business?"

She raises her eyebrows. "I am."

"Well…let's talk." He motions towards his office. Dell just looks on, confused about the exchange.

Cooper pushes Charlotte onto his desk and they start kissing. "Can I tell people about us?"

She quickly thrusts herself up. "What?"

"Just Violet. It's getting secrety and I don't really do secrety. And my bonus check comes this week," he pulls down her zipper.

"You wanna pay me for the sex?" She laughs.

He presses his lips to hers, but continues to talk. "I thought we could use the money to go away together…on a vacation."

She pulls away from him. "You and me on…a vacation?"

"Like a normal couple." She pushes him off of her and looks at him. "I tell Violet everything. She's like my sister. She's like my hot sister and we use our bonus checks to go away every year. And when I think about if I went away without you, I…"

"Don't say it."

"I might miss you."

"Cooper..."

"Yeah?"

"Either get back on top of me and shut up or keep talkin' and watch me walk out that door." He obviously chose the first option. He'll talk about this later if she'll let him. He pushes her back down and climbs on top of her. He gives her quick kisses on her lips before running of trail down her body with his lips. Before they both know it, their clothes are unbuttoned, unzipped, unfastened, and untucked. Their hands are all over each other's half naked bodies as their lips part and their tongues slide into each other's mouths. The office is dark, with only some sunlight breaking through as they finish and regain their professionalism. They continue to kiss as they try to get dressed. It's not working so they screw it and just start again. Eventually, they get their clothes back on and in proper order. They walk out of his office, refreshed and ready to tackle anything.

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><p>Cooper walks Charlotte out and sees her into the elevator, still pretending she was there for a consult. She's still tingling a little from his kisses and other things. He turns around and runs into Violet. "Heeey. I was just…coming…"<p>

"So on Menemba Island, there's no phones, no computers, no television. Our bonus checks will be put to very good use."

"Um, I don't know, maybe."

"We can touch monkeys, Cooper. We can touch monkeys."

"You made that last part up. I have patients."

"I have patients too and as I'm seeing them, my mind will be conjuring images of touchable monkeys." Cooper fights the urge to roll his eyes and walks farther into the lobby. "Touchable monkeys," he laughs to himself as he takes his patient into an exam room.

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><p>Cooper's out with the whole Oceanside Wellness gang, but he can't focus on anything. All he's thinking about is Charlotte. He wants to tell Violet right here and now that he's sleeping with Charlotte King, but he can't. He wants to shout it from the rooftops that Charlotte is actually human and has feelings, but he knows that if he wants to keep sleeping with her, he can't. Violet's becoming more and more suspicious, but there's nothing he can do. He's torn between the woman he calls his best friend and the woman he's sleeping with. "If I tell, I might lose one. If I don't tell, I might lose the other," he thinks to himself as he takes a shot. He's down about his patient and all he wants to do is go home. "You know what's gonna make you feel better?" Violet bends down and searches through her purse for the brochures.<p>

"Menemba." He draws it out at a high pitch and his voice cracks a little.

Violet starts laughing and smiling at him. "Monkey touching."

Cooper tilts his head as he takes another swig of beer. "Violet…"

"I have the pamphlets right here. There's pretty girls in the pamphlets. They might do dirty, trashy things to you when I'm in the spa." Cooper can't help but think about Charlotte doing dirty, trashy things to him. He arches his eyebrows, but stays silent. "Is that what this is about? A girl? Is there…Cooper, do you have a woman I don't know about? A non-cyber woman?"

"There's no woman." He pauses and retracts in his mind. "There is definitely a woman. She's not completely non-cyber, but she's definitely all woman," he's thinks as he smiles secretly.

"Then what is it? It's bonus time. We always blow half of it on sunburns and hazy memories."

Cooper puts his hand on her shoulder, "Violet, don't count on me this year." He stands up and walks away from her. He's not sure if he made the right decision not to tell her.

* * *

><p>His phone rings and he picks it up. "Hey." He's smiling now.<p>

"Hey." Cooper can tell that her voice is rather seductive tonight.

"My place, 20 minutes?" He wanted to say 'His place, 5 minutes,' but he was trying not to sound as desperate as he actually was.

"See you then." She purrs on the phone and then hangs up.

A tingling sensation shoots up his spine. He looks around to make sure no one is staring at him and he howls softly to himself. He rushes out to the parking lot and gets in his car. He practically takes his shirt off on the way back to his loft.

* * *

><p>Cooper's sitting on his bed glancing at his watch every ten seconds. He knows that Charlotte won't be late. She's very punctual. He knows that for a fact. She's never late and never misses a meeting, whether it has to do with hospital business or strictly pleasure. He hears the doorbell and practically leaps up. He calms down. He doesn't want to appear too anxious. He's had a horrible day dealing with Violet and his patient who's unaware that he has HIV, and all he wants to do is jump Charlotte at the door and rip her clothes off.<p>

He pushes her down on the bed and covers her lips with his. He's kissing her and she's smiling. She holds onto his face as he continues to kiss her. He sits up to shift positions. "Wanna play naughty little school boy? Mistress and Butler? I could be the warden and you can be the prisoner."

Cooper's lips are inches away from hers. "How about boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Charlotte pushes him off of her and turns to the side so her back is facing him. "Dammit, Cooper. You really know how to dry a girl up."

He slides up next to her. "First of all, it was a suggestion, and second of all, I lied today. I told Violet a lie. I told her I wasn't seeing anybody…"

"Would you rather lie to Violet and play naughty school boy with me or tell her the truth, and play with yourself?"

Cooper let's out of a breath and comes up close to her neck. He speaks softly in her ear, "Why do we have to keep it a secret?"

Charlotte pushes him away again. "Because you all are one incestuous family and I'm not joinin' the family." She pauses. "This isn't that serious."

Cooper sits up and glares at her. Charlotte turns her head towards him, knowing he's staring. He sits up and pulls his pants on. He stands up as Charlotte watches with a smirk on her face. She's got him hooked. Cooper walks around to face her. "I'm sick of keeping secrets and I'm really sick of keeping secrets from my best friend. So maybe you should just go." He buckles his belt.

"I'm wearing crotchless panties, Coop."

He looks up and begins to think about it. "Hmmm," he considers to himself for a second. "No, no. No. I am not your toy. There are a lot of other things I could be doing, you know, better things. I could be traveling. I could be touching monkeys in Menemba "

Charlotte turns her head and arches her eyebrows. "Menemba?"

"Zanzibar and you could be with me if you weren't pathologically allergic to human relationships."

He's struck a nerve with her there. She makes a face that suggests she's annoyed, but also surprised that that came out of his mouth. She stands up and walks out. Cooper falls back on the bed as he imagines her in crotchless panties. He sighs. "Crothless panties." He stares at the ceiling. The smell of her perfume still lingers in his bedroom. He breathes it in and bites his bottom lip. "Crothless panties."

* * *

><p>Charlotte's leaning against his door, running her fingers through her hair. She can still feel his lips on her skin and she shivers when she thinks about what he said. "How dare he say I'm pathologically allergic to human relationships? Who does he think he is? So what if I don't want everybody at his practice knowin' my business. It's my business, isn't it?" She pauses. "No one turns down Charlotte King, especially not when she's wearing crotchless panties. I should march right in there and give him a piece of my mind…no, then he would know I'm thinkin' 'bout this. This is just casual sex." She walks down the hallway but stops. "Maybe a vacation wouldn't be so bad. Sex, drinks, more sex. Maybe somewhere close." She smiles when she thinks about it. She quickly leaves his apartment building and heads home.<p>

Charlotte's standing at the counter, updating a chart. Violet walks towards her and Charlotte freezes. "Did Cooper tell her?" She pauses in thought when Violet speaks.

"I just came by to check on the Madison's. How are they doing?"

Charlotte lets out a breath. "Mom's in recovery from her C, Jason's receiving his cord blood infusion, and Montgomery's keepin' the baby alive through sheer force of will." She pauses. "It's a mess." She looks back down at the chart and sighs. "Do you ever miss the good ole' days? When life and death was decided by God instead of doctors."

"Well, we'd be outta jobs." Violet chuckles out loud.

"Man it would be good though, to just not be in control. To let go, let God." Violet smiles politely and starts to walk away. "I could travel. I could…go to Africa. I could…touch monkeys. Whatever." Violet looks at her, and Charlotte swiftly grabs the chart and walks away, realizing she said too much.

* * *

><p>Charlotte's in her office, sitting on her couch. "I could go to Africa? I could touch monkeys? What the hell did you say that for? It was her idea in the first place. She's gonna put it together that you're sleepin' with Cooper. She's a shrink for goodness sake. It's her job to put together puzzles." Charlotte sighs and leans back on the couch. It's been a long day, but here she goes again, thinking about Cooper. She starts thinking about going on a vacation with him again and she smiles. She stands up and walks out of her office. She checks on the Madison's one final time before leaving to surprise Cooper at his apartment. She has a plan to get him to open the door and let her in. "No man can resist a woman in no panties. He's as good as mine." She laughs a little and walks down the hall.<p>

* * *

><p>Charlotte's a little nervous, even though she shouldn't be. What's the worst that could happen, he tells her to go home? She pushes the doorbell and waits. She crosses her arms over her chest and exhales noisily. She's hoping he's home, but she figures he is. He opens the door and looks at her with that look that says, "What are you doing here?" Charlotte opens her mouth and sucks in some air before she speaks. "You can't tell anyone about us, but I'll consider a vacation. Somewhere close. Somewhere I can flee from easily." He takes a sip of his beer and is acting like he's totally over this conversation already. "Like Napa or Palm Springs." He closes the door, not interested in anything else she has to say. She lost him with, 'You can't tell anyone about us.' She uncrosses her arms, disgusted with him shutting the door in her face. "I'm here. I came crawlin' back, ok? I'm crawlin'." She pauses and reflects silently to herself. "And Charlotte King doesn't crawl."<p>

Cooper's still standing by the door. "In crotchless panties?"

She smirks. "This'll get him to open the door again." She leans her face into the door to make sure none of his nosy neighbors can hear her. "In no panties." Cooper opens the door wide, giving her ample room to walk in. "See, no man can resist a girl in no panties." She thinks to herself and laughs as she makes her way into the bedroom.

* * *

><p>Cooper pushes her down on the bed, and takes off his pants. Charlotte looks up at him. "So, naughty school boy, prisoner and warden, or mistress and butler?"<p>

"I'm feeling like mistress and butler tonight." He winks and unclasps her bra, exposing her breasts to him.

"So what's for dinner, butler?"

"I'm not sure what you're having, but I know what I want."

They slide under the sheet and he disappears between her legs. She laughs a little and then moans. She puts her hands on the back of his head and runs her fingers through his hair. She swallows and gasps for breath as a shiver runs up her spine. "I should give you a raise." She grips the sheet as he continues. "There goes that tongue again," she thinks as she curls her toes under. She screams. "I better be quiet. My husband's asleep in the next room." She covers her mouth with her hand and massages the back of Cooper's neck. He slides up and smiles. He rolls onto his back next to her. "Before I forget, little Charlie is yours." She laughs as she turns to face him. She moves her hand below the sheet and feels him grow long and hard in her hand. "I said I was gonna give you a raise, didn't I?" He laughs and groans at the same time. She runs her hand up his body and up to his neck. She climbs on top of him and passionately kisses him on the neck. She moves her lips up to his and pushes hers into them. Their lips separate and their tongues slip into each other's mouths. She maneuvers on top of him and he glides himself into her. "We have to make it quick. I think I hear my husband coming." She rocks back and forth on top of him until she bursts with delight. She rolls back over onto her back and breathes. "That was close." She's still in character which makes Cooper snort.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Cooper and Charlotte are sitting up in the bed. They're both still a little out of breath and their faces have a thin film of sweat on them. Smiles are permanently planted on their faces. Cooper looks at her. "You really want to go on a vacation?"<p>

She turns her head. "I said I'd consider it."

"Why can't I tell people about us?"

"We're not an us, Coop. This is just sex."

His face falls, but he dismisses her comment. To him, this is turning into more than just sex which is scaring him a little. "Why can't I tell Violet?"

Charlotte bites the inside of her cheek. She disappears into her own head for a minute and starts to think about his question. "Because then it's real. I'm not ready for real. I have to make myself believe this is just sex." She returns to reality when Cooper clears his throat. "Because you can't."

"That's not a reason."

"If you wanna continue doin' this," she moves her hand under the covers and grabs him gently, "then you can't tell anyone about us."

He sighs. "Fine." He pauses. "You wanna do it again?" She nods and rolls on top of him. Round two is under way.

* * *

><p><strong> once we get further into the series expect to see:<strong>

**-more hotness (for those who want it)**

**-more inner thoughts **

**-overall more CharCoop goodness**

**I'm open to suggestions so if you have any, just let me know. Either by review or private message. I write this mostly for you guys, so if there's something you want to see more of or less of, don't be afraid to tell me.  
><strong>


	4. Bossy, Rude, and All Southern Twangy

Cooper's lying in bed while Charlotte's lying on top of him. He sighs, thinking about the morning meeting he's missing. She pushes his head to the side and kisses down his neck. She forcefully picks up his hands and puts them on her ass. Charlotte engulfs his lips in a kiss and his head falls to the pillow. She sits up and stares down at him. "Am I boring you?"

"I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be at a meeting. Violet's meeting. Violet's super secret meeting to overthrow," he sits up and pushes her to the bed, "the government."

Cooper stands up and walks over to his dresser. Charlotte melts into the pillow. "You people are odd."

"Now that Sam's running things, he's pushing us to book more and change things, and so…"

"I don't get properly laid?"

"Yes, you're the victim, you're the silent victim," he says as he slips into his pants. "It's not like you've given me permission to tell Violet why I can't come to her meeting."

She stiffens up and glares at Cooper. "Do not tell Violet about us."

"I know. I have to go, but I'll make it up to you. What are you doing for lunch?"

"We don't do public." She pauses and thinks to herself, "Because public means we're in a relationship. A relationship means this is real, with feelings, and I'm not ready for real…not yet." She turns back to Cooper who is staring at her now.

Cooper grabs his keys and jumps on the bed. He kisses her on the lips as he says, "Peppone. One o'clock." He hops off the bed and leaves.

Charlotte sighs and falls into her pillow. "A restaurant? Oh God. Am I really about to go out in public with Dr. Freedman on a," she swallows, "on a _date_?" She thinks as she reluctantly gets out of bed.

* * *

><p>Cooper's sitting at his desk, trying to fix his keyboard when Violet storms in. She sinks into his couch and starts talking. Cooper doesn't really want nor have time to listen to her. "I can't take it. Well you didn't even show up to the meeting."<p>

"I was doin…doing something."

"What?" Cooper stays silent and only shakes his head. Violet lunges forward. "Cooper, I just wanna say that, um, if there's something you want to tell me, but you're afraid to tell me. Tell me anyway. I won't get mad." She stands up and walks over to Cooper. "We're friends. I'm your friend so anything you would like to not keep secret, I'm here."

"I'm sorry I wasn't at the meeting. I just need to stay under the radar. I don't wanna be the dead weight that gets traded off for the plastic surgeon."

"Come on, Coop. That's an excuse. Tell me."

He rolls his eyes. He's over this conversation even before it started. "Do we have to share every detail? Do we have to be joined at the hip? We're not twelve."

"I'm so glad you could clear that up for me. I was so sure we were twelve." Violet storms out of the room clearly upset that he couldn't tell her about Charlotte because she knows already or at least has an idea about it.

Cooper leans back in his desk chair and sighs. "I thought that went well." He laughs to himself as he starts typing. He wanted to tell Violet when she walked in, but he couldn't. Not just because Charlotte told him not to, but because then his thing with Charlotte would be real and he wasn't sure he was completely alright with real. He contemplated going after Violet, but decided against it. He'd try to convince Charlotte at lunch.

* * *

><p>Cooper brushes past Sam and Violet and makes his way to the elevator. He's late for his lunch date with Charlotte and doesn't want to keep her waiting, but Sam just has to be the bearer of bad news this afternoon. "Cooper, my man. Health fair, great way to get new patients."<p>

"I have lunch plans." He whispers so Violet doesn't completely hear him.

"Lunch plans are more important than the practice? Really? What website did you find her on?"

"Yeah, Cooper. What website?"

He glares at Violet from over Sam's shoulder. "I have a limit to how far you can push, Violet."

"Alright, Coop. Grab a stethoscope and some damn balloons and go charm some mothers who don't know any better." Sam rushes away from the lobby.

Cooper pulls out his cell phone and glares at Violet until she unwillingly leaves the lobby. He texts Charlotte. He doesn't want to cancel, but he doesn't have a choice. He knows Charlotte will kill him when she sees him, but there isn't anything he can do. "I hope she understands. Who am I kidding?" He disappears behind the closing doors of the elevator.

* * *

><p>Charlotte walks into Peppone, right on time. She's looking around to make sure she doesn't recognize anyone, or to make sure no one recognizes her, for that matter. She's also trying to see if Cooper's there yet. A waitress walks up to her, but Charlotte's too in her own head to notice. "Miss, just one?" Charlotte doesn't hear her. "Excuse me, miss, one?"<p>

Charlotte blinks and stares at the lady. "Eh yes…I mean no. Two." The waitress nodded and showed her to a corner booth. "I'll have a glass of wine." She leaned back in the booth and nibbled on a piece of warmed bread. She opens up the menu and just then her cell phone beeps. She slides it out of her purse and smiles when she sees Cooper's name. Her smile quickly turns into a scowl when she reads the message out loud. "Can't make it. Sorry." She throws her phone in her purse and balls her hands into fists. "He has the nerve to call off somethin' he pushed for in the first place. I'm not lookin' for a relationship, but jeez, I should matter enough to him to show up. I'm in public waitin' on a guy, and Charlotte King doesn't do public. He better be lyin' in the hospital, bleeding to death." She let out a puff of air when the waitress came back with her wine. She gritted her teeth and her eyes fill with slight embarrassment for having to eat lunch at a restaurant alone. "It'll just be one." She's already here. She might as well eat something.

* * *

><p>Cooper's in the elevator, carrying a bouquet of balloons and looking down at his phone. He's checking to see if he has any text or missed calls from Charlotte or Violet. He doesn't. He steps off the elevator as Charlotte comes barreling up to him from, most likely, his office. She sticks her face close to his and whispers so no one hears the very private conversation they're about to have. Cooper looks up from his phone and smiles. His smile fades when she speaks, "What kind of defect do you have?"<p>

He flashes her, his best sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry.

"I get one hour for lunch. I was halfway across town, I ordered wine, and I found a quiet corner booth which was good because otherwise I might have missed your text." Her voice is threaded with annoyance.

"I should have called."

"No, you shouldn't have invited me to a lunch you didn't plan on attending. I'm not lookin' for a relationship or love or any of that garbage, but I won't be treated like I don't matter." She storms off towards the elevator, knocking his balloons out of the way to drive home her point.

Cooper walks to the front desk. He knew she would have strong feelings about him ducking out of their lunch plans, but he didn't expect her to get all emotional over it, or at least what he considers to be getting emotional over it.

* * *

><p>Charlotte pushes the button for the ground floor and leans against the back wall. Her hands are shaking a little so she tries to calm them by gripping her pants tightly. She sighs and stares at the numbers going down. "He doesn't matter. He doesn't matter. He doesn't matter. This is just sex, just great, dirty, unemotional sex. "<p>

An older woman's voice comes through the speaker. "Just sex? Who are you trying to convince because I'm not buying it."

Charlotte looks around and rubs her eyes. She's definitely hearing things. The door dings and before it opens, she centers herself. The door slides open and she walks out. She was definitely hearing things.

* * *

><p>Cooper's sitting in his office, leaning back in his chair. He knows he has lice because he has been scratching his head since he got back from the Health Fair. He thinks for a second and then stands up. He knows there's one person who will help him, that is if she's still talking to him. After the way he's been acting, Cooper would understand if she wasn't. He walks to Violet's office and opens the door. Violet's sitting on her couch, hugging a pillow. She looks up and her facial expression doesn't change. "I need you." Violet follows Cooper to the sink.<p>

"What? You wanna tell me now?"

"No. I have lice."

"Fine." She pushes his head in the sink and starts massaging the shampoo into his head.

"Ow."

"Deal with it, Coop."

"There's no one else I'd let do this to me."

"Is that supposed to make me feel special?"

"Yes."

"Is the only thing you need me for is picking lice out of your hair?"

He lifts up his head a little. "In monkeys, it's a sign of affection."

She rolls her eyes and pushes his head back down. "This sucks, Cooper. I used to like to come to work. I used to like to talk to you, tell you everything and vice versa. Now I'm just," he lifts up his head completely out of the sink, "it all sucks. All you do is lie." Violet drapes a towel over Cooper's shoulder.

Cooper tilts his head and thinks to himself, "Just tell her. If Charlotte matters to you, just tell Violet about her. You're scared. You like Charlotte. You like Charlotte King. You might almost love her," he shudders at the thought, "so just tell Violet. Charlotte will get over it. You can help her get over it." He smiles furtively. Cooper takes a deep breath as Violet starts combing his hair with the specialty comb. "I'm sleeping with Charlotte King and I didn't tell you because she said I couldn't, but also because, more because I was scared of what you'd think. I'm scared of what I think because I like her. I really like her. I might almost kind of love her and she's mean and she won't let me tell you about her and she's bossy and rude and all southern twangy. And now I got lice which I got because I don't have any patients which Sam never fails to point out and do you think Charlotte would pick lice out of my head? Charlotte would burn me alive if I came near her with lice. I want to dump her. I want to dump her so hard. I want to dump her on her ass and walk away, but the idea of dumping her gives me this pain in my stomach that makes me wanna vomit so I can't dump her because of the maybe loving her. And it is killing me not telling you so I'm telling you. I'm sleeping with Charlotte King." He looks at Violet.

Violet tries to process everything he just said. All Violet was looking for was a simple, 'I'm sleeping with Charlotte King'. "Thank you." She pushes his head into the sink and starts to wash out the foam.

Cooper closes his eyes as the shampoo rinses out of his hair. A weight has been lifted from his shoulders. He's not sure if his relationship with Violet will get better or worse after he told her about Charlotte, but he feels better for telling her even if Charlotte kills him.

* * *

><p>Cooper's in his car in Charlotte's driveway with his hands clutched around the steering wheel. He knows when he knocks on her door, he's going to have to answer to Charlotte's wrath, but she's worth it. She's definitely worth it. Telling Violet was scary, but he knows that was the first step. This isn't just sex, at least not to him, even before he told Violet the truth. He sighs and turns his key. He steps out into the night air and saunters up to Charlotte's door. "Here goes nothing."<p>

Charlotte opens the door wide and glares at him. "Tonight's not a good night."

She starts to close the door, but Cooper stops her and pushes it back open. "I told Violet about us. She was hounding me and I told her. I'm sorry."

Charlotte's eyes open wide and fill with fury. "I hate you."

"Yeah I hate you too, but you do matter. I wouldn't have told Violet if you didn't matter."

Charlotte softens and looks him up and down. She reaches out her hand and grabs him and pulls him into the house. She pushes him in the direction of the bedroom and starts taking off her sweatshirt. "Get your close off!" She's smiling secretly because God forbid Cooper finds out that she's glad that she matters to him. As long as Violet keeps her trap shut, she's ok with it because it's already done. She knows this isn't just sex. She has feelings for this man, God help her. She follows him into the bedroom and shuts the door.

* * *

><p><strong>I wrote this chapter before any of your reviews so bear with me. there will be more hotness, more conflict, more of Charlotte's inner thoughts, more of everything really. We're still early in season 2, so don't worry if you're not seeing everything you want.<strong>

**-I stick pretty closely to the episodes. I only stray from the show if it's a part that wasn't shown. Just wanted to reassure you of that.-**

**thanks for the reviews/suggestions. keep them coming. **

* * *

><p><strong>I'm thinking about switching their inner thoughts into italics for future chapters. Would that be easier to tell what is actually being said and what is in their head? let me know. I normally use italics in my other stories but I was trying something new. I guess it could sometimes be confusing. what do you think?<strong>


	5. The Big Head Kid

**this chapter was a little hard to write because there wasn't a lot of Charlotte and Cooper together and I needed to include other parts for everything to make sense. I'm not completely happy with it, but I did my best. read/review.**

* * *

><p>Cooper slinks into the lukewarm bath as Charlotte pulls her shirt off over her head. She slips out of her panties and stands in the middle of the bathroom as Cooper salivates over her naked body. "Quit lickin' your lips." She laughs and joins him in the bath. She presses against him as he digs his hands delicately into her shoulders. She's been spending a lot of time at the hospital so this massage is much needed. She slides over to the edge of the tub, opposite Cooper, and turns her back towards him. She rests her head on her folded arms which are leaning on the rim of the tub.<p>

Cooper picks up the luffa, drips it in the water, and scrubs her back. "Do you ever feel like you're not pulling your weight? Everyone at work is talking about you behind your back?"

_I'm naked…in a bathtub…and he's thinking about work? _"How did my perfectly arched back make you think of that?"

"Luffa to scrub. Scrub to surgery. Surgery to patients. Patients to my lack thereof." _It makes sense…to me anyway. _"We're drowning. I'm drowning. I am making us drown. And when the raft is sinking, who do you think gets thrown overboard first? The pediatrician, who can't bring in the bucks."

Charlotte grabs a towel and wraps herself in it as she gets up. "Stay here and drown. I'm goin' to work." _I'm naked. NAKED. And all he wants to talk about is drowning? How depressin'._

Cooper sinks farther into the now almost cold water and makes a mocking face. _Doesn't she have any other advice besides, _'_Stay here and drown?'_

* * *

><p>Charlotte's in her office when she gets a page that there's a mother in need of a surgeon. Ever since Addison saved that baby a few weeks ago, Charlotte's been thinking of a way to get Addison to the hospital. She knows exactly what'll take, surgery. Just her luck, when she's walking through the ER, she notices Addison on an exam table. "Montogomery."<p>

"Dell works here."

"Who?" _Unless his name is Cooper, I don't pay attention to names._

"Blonde? Receptionist? He was the talking human who greeted you when you came to the practice? Never mind."

"I just had a surgeon caught away last minute. Patient needs a hymenectomy. You interested?"

"Can't. I got a fun filled day back at the ranch."

"Come on, Montgomery. You love surgery. It's messy and bloody and you get to save lives. Not to mention the coin. I'll give you your own OR for a day." _Am I sounding too eager? _

"No, no. I am off to work. Fun filled work." Addison leaves and Charlotte crosses her arms over chest. _Did Addison just turn me down? She'll be back. She loves surgery. _

* * *

><p>Charlotte is waiting in the scrub room as Addison operates. <em>I have her exactly where I want her. In my OR. <em>Addison takes off her mask and throws it in the trash and doesn't notice Charlotte until she speaks. "How'd it go?"

"Fibroid's history." Addison washes her hands and continues to talk to Charlotte. "It was nice to be back in the saddle again."

_Perfect. _"I have a newborn with a diaphragmatic hernia being airlifted in."

Addison just laughs at that. "Don't you have someone else? I do have patients."

"Double board certified neonatal surgeons aren't exactly walkin' the streets Montgomery." She paused. "I hate to take you away from all the fun at the office, but on the bright side, you get to save a life and work with me."

"Ok, I'm in." Charlotte looks Addison up and down and walks towards the door. "Charlotte, that new born being airlifted in, you don't have somebody else. You knew I'd say yes."

"I hoped."

"You're wooing me…with surgery."

"I am." _And it's working._ Charlotte walks down the hallway. _No one turns down Charlotte King_

* * *

><p>After Cooper sees his first patient, the kid with a really big head, he's sitting in his office chair thinking. <em>That was a humongous head. I've never seen a head that big before.<em> I mean, it was HUGE. Mount Rushmore had nothing on that head. He laughs to himself thinking about it, but then his smile fades. _That's me. I'm the big head kid. I'm not a surgeon. I'm not good with people over the age of five. I don't fit in here. I was cold calling, for pete's sake. I am reduced to kids with lice and cold calling. _Cooper stands up and walks out of his office. All this talk about big head kids and everything is depressing.

* * *

><p>Charlotte notices Addison having a friendly lunch date with some guy. All that's on her mind is to get Addison working for her by the end of the day. She approaches them and overhears them talking about a date. She interrupts them. "You're not goin' anywhere. Pregnant lady with ovarian torsion. OR's ready. You up for it, Montgomery?" Addison says bye to her date and walks towards the entrance with Charlotte. "You know, we could use you."<p>

"Sorry. Excuse me?" Addison takes a sip of her water.

"Here." She pauses. "You could be a surgeon. I could keep the OR full and the board happy. It's a symbiotic relationship."

"I have a job."

"You're a surgeon, Addison."

"I'll think about."

Charlotte looks straight ahead to ensure Addison can't read her face. _I knew I would get her with that. That co-op medicine thing isn't her. She's a surgeon. And the board can stop naggin' me about not booking enough surgeries. Not to mention, I'll have an excuse to visit OWG without having to pretend I'm there for a consult. Everyone's happy. _She shakes out of her thoughts and makes sure Addison makes it to the OR.

* * *

><p>Cooper's staring in the mirror, trying to imagine himself with a big head, only to remember he is the big head kid of the office. Charlotte walks in holding two drinks, glowing, but all he can think about is being the dead weight at the office. "You're in a good mood." He takes a sip of the drink.<p>

"Your Montgomery," _soon to be my Montgomery_, "is a real star. Real cash cow for me today. She's really makin' me look good."

"I'm glad someone does."

"Stop mopin'. I don't like mopin' sex."

Cooper sits on the bed. "I have a kid with a big head. Who as it turns out, has nothing wrong with him, except that he's going to be mocked, ridiculed, and looked down on his entire life."

"And that's your fault?" _Here we go again._

"That's me. I'm the one who doesn't fit in. Who's gonna be the first one outta the practice because they don't want me on their team anymore. I'm the big head kid."

_The faster I convince him this isn't a problem, the faster I get his clothes off. So here goes nothing. _"Oh my God. You're pathetic. You're crazy and pathetic. A big head's not a problem, it's a virtue, moron! You know who had a big head. Lincoln, JFK, Elvis, Einstein. Plenty of people have big heads and they don't sit and mope that they have a big head. So don't you sit and mope that you're a pediatrician. Do your job, do it well, and screw everyone else. You're the big head kid. More power to ya." She walks closer to him. "Can we get our clothes off now?"

"Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah. Just get your clothes off." Cooper grabs the glass from Charlotte and sets it on the bedside table.

Charlotte unbuckles his belt and throws it behind her on the floor. He takes off his pants and Charlotte pulls his shirt over his head as Cooper unbuttons her blouse and slinks it off her shoulders. She unfastens her bra and Cooper brushes his fingers across her shoulders letting the straps fall. He completely removes her bra and tosses it to the side. Charlotte slips her hand underneath the waistband of Cooper's boxer briefs. She draws little circles below his waist and moves her hand down. She grabs him and feels him growing hard in her hand. She massages him a little more and he moans. She slips off her underwear and he does the same. She straddles him and twirls his chest hair around her fingers and slides her hands up towards his face. She cups his face and presses her lips against his. Their lips separate and she breathes into his mouth just before slipping her tongue inside. She runs her tongue along his cheek, keeping their lips pushed together. He puts his hand on her bare ass and she flattens on top of him. She tugs at his bottom lip with her teeth and runs her hands through his hair. She maneuvers around as he glides himself inside. She rocks towards his face and then down towards his feet over and over again. She moves her lips down his body and then back up. She sucks on his top lips as a tingling sensation shoots up her spine, engulfing her in pleasure. She screams and bites her bottom lip to silence herself. Cooper's clutching the sheet as he slides out.

Charlotte rolls off of him and lies on her back, staring at the ceiling, out of breath. They shine with sweat and they're smiling. Charlotte bites her tongue and Cooper rolls over to face her. He props himself up on his elbow and kisses the side of her mouth. He moves down to her neck and continues down until he reaches her stomach. He caresses her left breast and a small moan escapes. He kisses her stomach a little more and then moves his tongue up towards her lips. He licks her lips and then surrounds them with his. He smoothes down her hair and kisses her just below her ear. Charlotte curls her toes under as he kisses her multiple times on the neck. She grabs at his legs and sucks on her bottom lip.

Minutes later, Charlotte is leaning on her arm, staring at Cooper. She sips her drink and smiles. "Amazing."

"Wanna do it again?"

"You never have to ask that question. The answer's always yes." She takes a final gulp of her drink and hands the empty glass to Cooper, who sets it back on the bedside table. "Ready?"

"You don't need to ask me that. I'm a stallion in the bedroom."

Charlotte presses her lips to his and then separates. "Shhh. I like it better when you don't speak." She laughs and lays flat on him again.

* * *

><p>Charlotte walks into the locker room shortly after Addison did. Addison's sitting on one of the benches, as finishes getting dressed. Charlotte's sort of pacing as she talks. "Six surgeries in 24 hours. What's it like?"<p>

"To be a surgeon?"

"To be the best." _Compliments usually work._

"I came here to get away from a bunch of people not talking and I ended up being the one not talking. Not talking to a single patient. I cut them open, sewed them up, and I had no idea who they were. That's not a doctor, and certainly not the best." Addison grabs her stuff and stands up. "Thanks for the job offer, Charlotte, but I have a job, a home."

Charlotte watches as Addison leaves the locker room. She leans against the wall of lockers and blinks. _I don't understand what she sees in those OCW people, well besides Cooper. A home? Who needs that when you're the best? No one turns Dr. Charlotte King down. No one. _Charlotte shakes out of thought and walks out.

* * *

><p>Cooper's in his office with the big head kid and his mother again. "I've run every lab I can think of, there's nothing wrong with Miles' head."<p>

"So it's…that's just the way he is."

"Your son's fine and he may grow into it."

"What if he doesn't?" She paused. "You must think I'm awful. I should be elated that my son is fine. It's just…"

"He's different."

"Yes."

"Me, I was slow. The other kids could all run faster. I hated PE. My best friend, Brad, he had two teeth that never grew in. He's the CEO of Fortune 500 Company now." He pauses. "I see a lot of kids and they're all different in one way or another."

The woman just continues to stare at her son's gigantic head. "He'll be picked on."

"Maybe. Maybe he'll be a bully. Maybe he'll be president. You know a lot of the presidents had big heads. JFK, Lincoln, he's on Mount Rushmore now."

"Thanks."

_I can't believe Charlotte actually gave me sound advice, and that I actually used it for the patient. _He paused in thought. _Maybe Charlotte's right. Being the big head kid isn't that bad._

* * *

><p>Cooper knocks on Charlotte's door and Charlotte checks to see who it is. She's had a long day and all she wants to do is rip this man's clothes off of him. "Good. You're here. Can you get your clothes off?"<p>

_What I don't get a hello? _"What's wrong?"

_Here were go again with the talking. _"Nothing." _Yeah real convincing._

"There's something wrong and I can tell."

"We don't do the talkin' thing, Coop."

"Yes we do. You yelled at me. Confirmed I had a big. Made me feel better." He throws his phone and keys on the couch and turns back to face Charlotte. "Let me yell at you, make you feel better." She reaches for his belt to unbuckle it but he grabs her hands and holds them up. "I'm not letting you get a piece of this until you start talking."

_Why does everyone at OWG want to talk all the time? _Charlotte tries to break free of his grasp, but he's holding strong. She lets out a frustrated sigh. "I offered Addison a job, and she turned me down. Can you take your clothes off now?"

_Charlotte King has feelings, who knew? She's kinda cute when she's all vulnerable. I know something that'll cheer her up._ Cooper lifts her chin up so he's looking right into her eyes and closes the gap between their lips.

Charlotte closes her eyes and lets him kiss her. _I had to open my big mouth and yell at him before, but he did kinda make me feel better. No, I'm thinking about this while he's kissing me. _She lets her arms fall to her sides and succumbs to Cooper's kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>as you know, episode 2x04 is where we learn more about them. I'm extending that scene at the end. If you were Cooper, what would you ask Charlotte and vice versa. I have an idea, I just want to see if there was anything you wanted to ask them, that you know they would answer. :)<strong>


	6. I Need Someone to Lick My Lollipop

**not sure when the next chapter will be up, but here's this one :D**

* * *

><p>Cooper's in his bedroom, staring at Charlotte. She takes off her jacket to reveal her naughty school girl outfit. She's dawned in a white button-down shirt tied to reveal part of her stomach, knee high socks, and a navy blue skirt. Her hair is pulled into low pigtails as well. She holds a spiral, yellow and red lollipop behind her back and stands in front of Cooper just as the phone rings. "How come I didn't know any naughty school girls in high school?"<p>

"I did."

"Pete, are you at Violet's?"

"No, technology. Conference call." Addison points out.

"We're doing an intervention." Violet gets out before Addison explains.

"Ending the war. Sam and Naomi. Peace at the office."

Cooper looks at Charlotte who's pacing the room seductively. "Oh, I'm in."

* * *

><p>Cooper tunes out the rest of the phone conversation as Charlotte walks closer to him. "I need someone to lick my lollipop." <em>Cooper needs to get off the phone. What's more important than me…naked? Nothing, that's what.<em>

_I'll lick your lollipop. _"I gotta go." He hangs up the phone and stands up from the leaning position he was in. He presses his lips to her neck. She shivers and licks her lollipop. Cooper kisses her and unbuttons her shirt simultaneously. They continue into the bedroom and Cooper pushes her onto the bed. He leaves a trail of kisses down her body. Charlotte swallows and grabs at his hair. He pops his head up and sucks on the lollipop. Charlotte presses her lips to the round edge and Cooper slides his lips onto hers. She lowers the lollipop and puts it on the bedside table. He slips off her shirt off completely and unhooks her bra. She unbuckles his belt and drops it on the floor. She slides her hands under his T-shirt and tugs on his chest hair a little. She takes his shirt off and lets it fall to the floor. Soon they're both naked and pressed up against each other the bed. He slides down her body with his tongue and she moans a little. _I'll teach her something, she'll never forget. _Round one has begun.

* * *

><p>Cooper's convinced his little blonde haired patient isn't autistic, but now he just has to prove it. He walks out of his office and he runs into the mother. "Hey, I'm not gonna know anything until I get his labs back."<p>

"I remember where I know you from. You're the one in the pictures. Naked on that website."

"What?"

"The dating website for adults."

Cooper drops his head. "You saw that?"

"You are a doctor. A pediatrician!"

"Please."

"How can you work with children?"

"Ok, that site has nothing to do…my personal life does not impact the care of give my patients."

"How could it not?" The lady walks away, but turns around. "You should not be a doctor."

Cooper leans against the wall and lets out a breath. _Why didn't I take those down? I have no reason to be on that site anymore. I have someone. I don't need that website. How did she find me, anyway? She had to be on that website too. But it's ok if she's on there because she's not a doctor, right? Why should it matter what I do outside of work? I don't get it. What I do outside of work doesn't affect the way I treat my patients. Being on that site doesn't make her a bad mother, so why should it make me a bad doctor? I'm not a pervert. I'm a good doctor, and all I wanna do is help that kid._

* * *

><p>Cooper storms into St. Ambrose. He's pissed that his patient's…former patient's mother thinks he's not capable of treating her son because of a few naked pictures on a dating website. He goes to the one person who would understand, Charlotte. After all, she's on that site too, and no one's excusing her of incompetency. Charlotte comes out a room and runs into Cooper. "Bad timing, Coop." She pauses and walks away from the nurses' station. "Board's got a couple of bigwigs and if I get one more complaint about how many surgeries I should be…" Cooper pulls her to side so they can talk in private. "I am not in the mood." <em>How many times do I have to say it? I don't have time for sex right now.<em>

"My day's worse. I don't feel like having sex…ever again."

"Then what are you doin' here?" She looks around to make sure no one is listening.

"I came to talk." Before Charlotte can get away, Cooper drags her outside by the arm.

They're walking the path. _This is fun._ Cooper's silent. They're just walking along the path. _This is awkward. _"You wanted to talk…you're not talkin'."

"Do you think I'm a pervert?"

_He can't be serious. He pulled me out of work for this? _"I am too busy for this." She walks away from him.

Cooper quickly chases after her. "Hey, does this not bother you that we're both in the middle of tough days and we can't even discuss it with one another?"

_No. _"I don't wanna discuss it, Cooper. I wanna get through it."

"Well maybe that's the difference between you and me. I don't know how to get through mine."

_He's not gonna let this go, is he? _ "What happened?"

"My patient's mother recognized me from an adult website. She does not want me to treat her son."

"That's absurd."

"You don't worry about that? A patient recognizing you from your private life?"

"One has nothing to do with the other." She paused. "Besides I took mine down." _Because I don't need them anymore. _"You didn't?" Cooper just sort of shrugs at her question. "How many sites are ya on, Coop? 2? 5? 10?"

_She took hers down? _"ish."

"Your patient may be right. There is something wrong with you." _10 sites, jeez. And I took mine down for this man? _

Charlotte walks away, but once again, Cooper chases after her. "I'm a good doctor. I wanna help this kid."

"Then do it."

"What?"

"Find out what's wrong with the kid." She pauses. "I'd start with taking your profiles down." They walk back into the hospital and go their separate ways.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Cooper's sitting in his office chair, tapping a pen on his desk. He's shuffling through folders, trying to gather all the information he found earlier. Charlotte told him to help this kid anyway, and that's exactly what he intends on doing. His mother may not like it, but Cooper's just trying to help. He stands up and grabs the files and paperwork and heads for the elevator. <em>I'm a good doctor and I'm going to help her son. <em>

* * *

><p>Cooper walks the small stretch of a pathway up to his patient's front door. He tried to call, but the patient's mother wouldn't take his calls. He has the answer she's looking for, but he's not sure if she'll listen to him. He knows just giving her the information will help and he's not looking to be his doctor. He just wanted to figure out what was wrong. What she does with the information is her business. If she comes back to him, or finds someone else, that doesn't matter. He knows he helped the kid, discovered that Braden might not be autistic. Cooper knocks on the door and waited.<p>

The woman glares at him. "Go away."

"This'll just take one second…"

"I don't wanna hear your rationalizations." She closes the door on him.

Cooper wasn't going to take no for an answer. He knocks again with no answer. _Time for plan B_. "Braden might not be autistic."

She unlocks the door and opens it. "Is this some sick idea…?"

"No, no. He might have something called Landau-Kleffner Syndrome. In kids like Braden that lose their ability to communicate, they may be having seizures…at night, you don't notice them, but it causes problems with synapses in their brain. They start misfiring; it impairs their ability to communicate. When they can't communicate, they withdraw. The thing is with corticosteroids, with anticonvulsants, it might be treatable." He hands the woman all the information. "First page has the names of three excellent pediatricians. The rest is all the research I could find." The woman looks at him and then backs away into her house. He backs away, but suddenly goes back to the door. "You know, we were both on the website. In order to know I was on the website, you had to be on the website too. So, I'm just saying, you're the pot calling the kettle…pervert." _I don't sound ridiculous at all. "_I'm a good doctor. I wanna help your son." Cooper turns around and walks down the corridor. _That went well. _

* * *

><p>Cooper's at the front desk with Violet when he notices that Braden and his mother are back. <em>Hmmm.<em> He walks over to them. The woman stands up. "Do you really think you could help him?"

"If we give Braden prednisone now, it'll absorb into his bloodstream in a matter of hours. Before he goes to bed, we could know if it'll help." _I have to delete those profiles. _Cooper gives Braden the shot and watches them leave the practice. _I hope I helped that kid. _He slinks away to his office.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Cooper's at the front desk with his back turned to the lobby. Braden walks up behind him. "Doc-tor." Cooper turns around at the sudden tiny voice. He walks over to the boy. "Than-k you for the truck."<p>

Cooper smiles and pats the little boy's head. "You're welcome." _Wow. I was right._

The mother, who has tears in her eyes, stood up and walks towards Cooper. "He started 45 minutes ago. He woke up." She pauses. "Whatever you are, you're a wonderful doctor." They walk out of the practice, and Cooper can't stop smiling. _See, one doesn't have to do with the other, but I need to take down my profiles._ He pauses in thought. _We need to talk. This little kid couldn't speak, and Charlotte and I can, but we don't. I don't know anything about her except for she's a doctor and I know what makes her purr. If we're gonna do…whatever we're doing, we have to talk. _Cooper leaves right after they vote and heads home. He has a date tonight with Charlotte.

* * *

><p>Charlotte's in the bathroom, trying to squeeze into a leather dominatrix outfit with chains and a whip to go with it. <em>He'll love this. He better because this thing is the most uncomfortable thing I've ever worn. I can hardly move, but the sex'll be worth it.<em> She smiles and slides the door open slowly. She rests her hand on the door and leans a little, swinging the whip back and forth. Cooper's deleting his profiles from the websites and notices her in the doorway. He wasn't expecting that. He laughs and rubs his hands together. "Nice outfit, Fowline."

She whips the bedside table which startles him a little. He closes his laptop. He's slightly frightened by her. "Get over here."

_God she looks good. No, we need to have a conversation…first. _He takes a breath; he knows she's not gonna like what comes out of his mouth next. "No." He' not even sure he wants to say no, now.

Charlotte walks over to the bed and whips the bed just below his feet. "Do I look like a person who takes no for an answer?" _He's kiddin' right? I'm dressed in leather and I have a whip. A whip. He did not just say to no to me._

"I would very much like it if we could spend the evening talking."

"Again with the talking?" _Now he's kidding. He'd rather talk than have sex with me? He can't be serious. Doesn't he ever get tired of talking? _

"I'm serious. We're gonna get to know each other."

Charlotte sits down on the bed. "Why?"

"Because listen here, Charlotte. I want us to be about more than just sex because I wanna know you and you to know me, like normal people." He pauses. "For instance, me. I'm from Akron. I'm an only child. I was adopted and I never sought out my birthparents because my parents were great…are great. And I spent summers working at a camp in Indiana which is when I realized I loved children and decided I wanted to be a pediatrician. My favorite color is chartreuse because I like the way it feels coming out of my mouth. Chartreuse."

_He wants to talk and not have sex, and I'm…I'm liking it. Oh God. I'm falling for him over the color green? Once I open my mouth there's no turning back. He'll know me. Really know me. _"Chartreuse."

"Chartreuse."

She smiles. "That is a good word."

It's slightly awkward for a minute, but Cooper gets back to what they were doing. "Now, it's your turn."

_Here it goes. _"Well, I'm from Monroeville…Alabama. Home of Harper Lee, who wrote…"

"To Kill a Mockingbird_."_

_He knows? He had to say that, didn't he? _"Right." She pauses for a second. "Which is my favorite book." She noticed his face change to surprise. "Yes, I read." They laugh a little before she continues. "I have two brothers, younger and I practically raised them. That's why I became a doctor so I could, um, help people."

"What's your drink of choice? I'm predictable. I like beer, typical man."

"Um, martini. My momma taught me how to make 'em when I was a kid."

"You'll have to make me one someday."

"Maybe I will." She smiles and scoots up to the other pillow. _This isn't so bad. _"How about food?"

"Burgers, but I'll eat anything. You?"

"I'll eat anything. I mostly eat salad though."

"Oh come on, salad is boring."

"And burgers aren't?"

"Fine. How'd you become Chief of Staff?"

"Showed the board I could boss people around with the best of them. People listen to me. I think they're scared of me, actually. The medical degree from John's Hopkins didn't hurt either." _What the hell are you doin'? You're givin' him your whole life story. _

"What made you leave Alabama?"

"Not a small town girl, I guess." She pauses. "I'm not gonna be the only one talkin'. Go on. Tell me somethin'."

"I'm a momma's boy." He smirks. "I tell my mother everything."

"Oh." She paused. "Do you know enough about me, now? Can we get to…?" She whips his feet again.

Cooper leans over and kisses her on the lips. "Yes. We can get to whatever you have planned with that whip of yours." He winks and sets his computer on the floor. _That's enough talking for one night. I know more about her than most people. I'm satisfied…well not completely. _He laughs to himself, quiet enough for Charlotte not to hear him. "Ok. Do your worse."

* * *

><p><strong>Reviews are appreciated :D<strong>


	7. Welcome to the Cornfield

**_I liked this episode...hope you like this chapter._  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Charlotte and Cooper lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Cooper turns to her. "What would you say to…uh, just using the pill?"<p>

"What?" She perks up and stares at him. She's surprised to say the least.

"No condoms. Being serious. "

"We need to get tested." _I don't know what he could have picked up from all the women he's been with._

"We'll do it this afternoon."

"I have a half hour between meetings."

Cooper nods and sits on the edge of the bed. He starts tossing his condom stash into the trash. "Goodbye, my rubber rompers. Goodbye, my latex safety nets." _This is good. This is progress._

Charlotte edges up behind him. "Sex without condoms."

"How grown up are we? Getting HIV tests."

"Using just the pill."

"The next big step in our relationship."

_Scary. I haven't been…no this is about me and Cooper. _Charlotte closes the gap between their bodies and whispers in his ear. "We're two teenagers, busting at the seams with hormones. Stuck for the summer," she wraps her legs around his waist and rubs his chest, "in our footloose, no dancing, conservative town, where my daddy preaches with his loaded shotgun under the pulpit." She pauses for effect. "And then one night, in the cornfield…"

"Wait, what happens in the cornfield?"

"After we take our HIV tests, I'm gonna show you."

"No, show me now."

_I wish I could. _"I can't. I have a job interview, which, if it goes well, we can celebrate," she gets up and slaps him on the thigh, "in the cornfield." She disappears into the bathroom.

"Job interview?" Cooper collapses onto the bed. _She already has a job and I wanna know what happens in that cornfield. Why'd she have to tell me that? Now all I'm going to be thinking about for the rest of the day is that stupid cornfield._

* * *

><p>Cooper walks into the lobby from his office and puts a stack of folders on the front desk. "Can you set up two blood draw kits for me for this afternoon?"<p>

"Sure." Dell puts the big bowl of condoms on the counter.

Violet strolls up to the front desk, checking her messages. "That's a whole lotta condoms."

"Planned Parenthood. Addison's helping with their community outreach and they're free."

She looks at Cooper. "Go ahead, Cooper. Line your pockets."

"No, I'm good." _In the cornfield, good._

"Oh, you're good with condoms?"

"Yeah."

"So it's over? Between you and Charlotte? I'm sorry."

"What? No."

"What? Oh, you're being monogamous. You're being serious with Charlotte? Really? Charlotte?"

"Yeah."_ What is her problem?_ "Here's the part where you say, 'Congratulations, Cooper. I'm happy for you.'"

"Uh, I have to go. An old friend is in from out of town. A really good friend."

Cooper watches Violet walk away and furrows his brow. _Really, what is up with her? This is good for me. I'm in a relationship. She should be happy for me._

* * *

><p>Cooper is standing over his desk when Violet storms in. "Are you busy?"<p>

_Yes._ "Actually, I'm waiting for someone." _Like that's gonna stop her._

Violet ignores him and sits on the couch anyway. "So my friend asked me to do something terrible and I don't know if I should do it. Well, in fact I know I shouldn't do it, but it's a friend…"

"Wait, by friend do you mean guy and by something terrible do you mean something anal?"

"Cooper, it's Kara Wei. She asked me to destroy her medical records."

"Kara Wei? The Kara Wei. That's your friend you went to see this morning?"

"Yeah, from college. She's my best friend."

"I'm your best friend. Look, she's not your best friend if she's asking you to destroy her medical records."

"Well, there was a time when we would have done anything for each other. I went through some very bad times and she was there for me."

"So you should put your career at risk?"

"I owe her."

"She's not your best friend. I am."

"You were."

_Come on, Violet. _"My having Charlotte doesn't mean you don't have me." He pauses. "And you cannot do this. You have to tell her what you've told me a million times."

"Stop sleeping with skanks?"

Charlotte pokes her head into Cooper's office. "I'll let that pass.

Violet flips around. "Oh, I didn…"

"I got half an hour. Let's do this."

"We'll talk later." Cooper laughs a little and follows Charlotte to an exam room.

* * *

><p>Charlotte sits on the exam table and balls her hands into fists. She's stiff and shaking a little as she watches the nurse prepare the needle again. Cooper laughs as the nurse tries to stick her with the needle. Charlotte shoots him a fiery glare. "This isn't funny, Coop." The nurse slides the needle in. "Ow! Are you tryin' to kill me?" Charlotte pulls her arm away a little.<p>

She squeezes Cooper's hand. He lets her squeeze it. It took the nurse ten minutes just to get Charlotte to relax enough so she could stick the needle in. The nurse slides the needle out and seals the bag with the two blood samples. Charlotte crosses her arms over her chest and stands up. They walk into the lobby and over to the elevators. "It wouldn't hurt so much if you didn't tense up. I didn't know you were so afraid of needles."

"Shut your mouth. If you tell anyone, no cornfield for you."

"Oh, there will be cornfield." He pauses as they wait for the elevator. "How'd the job interview go?"

"Ok."

"It's not out of state or anything? You're not going anywhere?"

"I just took an HIV test for you. Why would I go anywhere?"

"So?"

"It's business, Coop. Focus on pleasure." She presses the button and before the door closes, she whispers, "Cornfield." The doors shut and Cooper turns around to walk into his office.

* * *

><p>Charlotte and Cooper lay in Cooper's bed, fully clothed. They're staring at the ceiling. "Lab is fast…usually."<p>

"No preacher. No cornfield." She pauses. "Ugh! I needed sex today."

"Me too." _Cornfield…_ "Violet's being all passive aggressive. Addison's at war with Sam and Naomi over leasing a floor of the building. We're doctors. Fighting over leases. That's how broke we are."

_Hmmm. They didn't have a place in mind. Once I show them that space, I'll be a shoe in for that job. _"Yeah?"

"You wanna tell me why you're looking for jobs?" _We can't have sex, might as well talk._

"I'm not a doctor anymore. I'm an administrator. I need more. I need…The interview today was really interesting. It was…"

Cooper turns his head. "What?"

"Never mind." _If I tell him, I won't get the job and I need this job._ "And we can still be in the cornfield."

"Come on, finish what you were saying. I'm your friend, possibly your best friend, and we still don't have any condoms." _So-called rapid blood tests._

_Wait, we don't need condoms. _"No need." She pauses. "I'm pure as the driven snow. I'm the everything-but-girl, who's waiting for marriage, and you…you are the horny field hand and we can only use our tongues." Charlotte sits on top of him and pushes her lips into his. He raises his head a little and wraps his arms around her. She tugs at his bottom lips and runs her tongue along the side of his cheek. Their tongues meet and slide into each other's mouths. She bounces up and down a little and her lips crash into his over and over again. Cooper runs his hands up and down her back under her sweater as they kiss. He runs his tongue along her neck and pulls her shirt over her head. She unbuckles her pants and soon enough they're both just in their underwear. Cooper kisses down her neck and into her cleavage. Charlotte swallows and runs her hands through his hair. She pushes his neck to the side and kisses the side of his neck and then slides her tongue back inside his mouth. Her lips engulf his again. _Who needs condoms when we have tongues? _Charlotte thinks as she straightens out her body so that she's flush against him. She entangles their legs together as they continue to kiss. _Who needs condoms when you have someone who can do the things he can with his tongue? _She tingles with delight and shivers a little.

* * *

><p>After about ten minutes, she rolls off of him and stares at the ceiling again. "See...no condoms needed." She pauses. "But those tests better be in tomorrow or…"<p>

"We'll both go crazy."

"Yes." _Exactly. A girl can only hold out for so long. _

"So are you gonna tell me what the interview was about?"

"It's business." She slides her hand under his waistband and grabs his inner thigh. "Focus on pleasure."

* * *

><p>Cooper grabs a few condoms from the bowl in the lobby. <em>Just in case. We can't just use our tongues forever. <em>He laughs and then runs into Violet, who's still mad that he has a girlfriend. Cooper wants to avoid her, but she starts talking about Kara Wei and how she needs to do this. While Cooper was doing whatever he was doing with Charlotte, she was at home alone. She leaves on the elevator and glares at him as the doors close. _I'm her best friend, but we have separate lives. Just because I have a girlfriend…she just needs to get laid. If she had someone, this wouldn't be a problem. _He pauses in thought and looks around. _I'm her best friend, I'm not gonna let her ruin her career._ He storms off for the stairwell.

* * *

><p>Cooper slinks up next to Violet, who's trying to get Kara Wei's file. "You're really doing this? Stealing files?"<p>

"You followed me."

"Friends don't let friends steal."

"Don't even go there."

"Look at me and tell me you wanna do this."

The lady behind the counter hands her the file, but asks her for an I.D. "I don't have one, but I do have privileges here."

The woman pulls back the file slightly. "You can't have the file without I.D."

"And you can't do this."

The woman cuts Cooper off. Not that it made a difference. Violet was tuning him out. "Do you have I.D.?"

Charlotte crosses the hallway and notices Cooper and Violet standing there. "I can vouch for her." She walks over to the two people.

"Dr. King, this good clerk has rules."

Charlotte waves her hand, giving the woman the ok to give Violet the file. "Dr. Freedman, I assume you have the result of our patient's blood work?"

"No I don't." He looks at Violet, trying to reason with her with his eyes.

"Well, why don't we go to my office so we can call and see what's taking so long. My patient is anxious." _Very anxious._

"I'm consulting with Dr. Turner on a matter."

"No, no, no. I don't need your help."

"Violet…"

"Go."

"Come on, Dr. Freedman. I want answers."

Cooper reluctantly follows Charlotte to her office but looks back at Violet before he turns the corner._ I'm only one person. I can't be in two places at once. _

* * *

><p>Charlotte's on the phone with the lab while Cooper's sitting on her couch. She hangs up the phone and looks at him. He's staring at the wall with his hands clasped in his hands. "Hello?"<p>

Cooper turns his head and looks up at her. "Oh. What'd they say?"

"Back log. They should have the results tonight or tomorrow." She pauses. "What's up with you?"

"Violet."

"Course."

"She's about to possibly ruin her medical career and she won't even listen to reason…reason from me anyway."

"It's not your problem, Coop."

"She's my best friend and she doesn't like you. Makes it very difficult to talk to her about anything."

"By the skanks comment, I figured."

"She's used to having me all to herself."

"She's a grown ass woman. She needs to act like it."

"I know she does, but she's adjusting. She'll warm up to you eventually…I did." He smiles and she just glares at him. He walks up to her desk and gives her a quick peck on the lips. "I gotta go. I'll call you when I get the results." He walks towards her office door and then turns around. "Tonight…cornfield." He heads back to the practice to wait for Violet. _Maybe she didn't do it. Maybe she came to her senses._

* * *

><p>Cooper's sitting at his desk looking over his notes from that day when Violet saunters in with her hands crossed over her chest. She slumps down on Cooper's couch. He looks up when he notices her. "How's the future congress woman from California?"<p>

"She gonna be good at her job."

"You better have those files."

"I messed up. I messed up so bad. I don't even think I did it for the right reasons. I just wanted a friend. Everyone's living and I'm just here…alone." She takes a breath. "It doesn't bother me that you have Charlotte. I'm happy for you. I am. It just…well, you have Charlotte." Dell walks in and hands Cooper the envelope with the blood test results. "Well, open it. See if you have the all clear."

Cooper tosses the envelope onto his desk and joins Violet on the couch. "Later. Right now, I think my best friend needs me." Violet collapses into Cooper. _I may have Charlotte, but I want us to still be us. _

* * *

><p>Cooper's setting up for Charlotte. He turns on the bath tub and puts up the corn stalks. <em>Can't be in the cornfield, without corn stalks<em>. He laughs silently as he finishes up. He calls Charlotte. "The bathtub's running, the candles are lit, and I've done my best to recreate the world of two condomless teenagers in a footloose, conservative town. All I'm missing is you."

"I'll be right there." She clicks off the phone and looks down at the plans.

A man comes in from the shadows. "I gotta admit in our first interview, I wasn't sure about you, but when you called me about this office space, I knew you were the right person for the job."

"Thank you." _I get to help Cooper and I'll be closer to him. Most importantly, I'll be the boss, but I'll still be a doctor. _

"As I said before, you can't tell anyone about this until the place is staffed and ready."

"Understood." Charlotte looks around again and smiles.

* * *

><p>After about ten minutes, Charlotte's at Cooper's. She knocks on the door and he opens it wide. "Welcome to the cornfield." He laughs and drags her into the bedroom. They slide the door to the bathroom closed as they slip into the bath tub. Charlotte scoots up close to him and presses her body against his. She kisses him passionately as the warm water surrounds her. He wraps his arms around her and sucks on her bottom lips. She smoothes down her hair and wraps her arms around his neck and smiles into his lips.<p>

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, they dry off and make their way into the bedroom. He pushes her down on the bed and crawls in next to her. She lays flat as he kisses down her glistening, naked body. She swallows and pulls on the back of his head. He flips over and she straddles him. Charlotte smashes her lips into his and she maneuvers around so he can slide in.<p>

After a little more bouncing and gliding, Cooper erupts and Charlotte screams and balls her hands into fists around the sheets. She stays there for a few seconds and then rolls over onto her back. Cooper wipes the mixture of water and sweat off his brow and takes a few deep breaths. He props up on his elbows and looks at Charlotte. "That was amazing."

"Yes it was." She presses her body against his and sinks into the mattress. He wraps his arm around her and they stare at the ceiling. _It was amazing…he was amazing…he and I __**are **__amazing._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Please review...thank you :D<strong>_

_**keep letting me know what you like or dislike about the story...it helps shape future chapters.**  
><em>


	8. Cruella de Vil

**sorry for the long time between updates and sorry for the mix up with Chapter 7, I meant to edit it, but I deleted it by accident so I had to upload it again. **

**Anyway, please read and review.**

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><p>Cooper's standing in a bar with Sam and Pete, admiring the local scenery. They're trying to get Sam back in the dating game after his split with Naomi. A blonde in a blue dress walks by the three men, looking at them as she passes. Cooper follows her with his eyes. "Ok. Her." He then spots another woman who is definitely more of Sam's type. "No…no. Her."<p>

"What do I say?"

"You're a doctor." Cooper and Pete say at the same time after they share a look.

"No, she's not right."

Pete pulls the drink away from his mouth. "You're scared?"

"No, I'm not afraid. I'm just out of practice."

Cooper brushes his hand over Sam's shoulder. "When did you and Naomi get together? College?" Sam nodded. "How'd you pick her up?"

"Well, she asked me out."

Cooper and Pete start laughing. "You have no game. You never had to have game." Pete mocks.

"I have game. I have all types of game. I'm handsome." He paused. "I'd like to see you two try."

"I have a woman, but if I didn't, I could do this in my sleep." Pete points to a woman. "Cooper."

The men search the bar finding the right woman for Cooper to try to pick up even though secretly he has a woman too. Sam points to a blonde a little distance away. "Ok. Her, right there, the blonde." Cooper has a thing for blondes.

"Come on, too easy."

The woman turns her head and they all look away, sharing a simultaneous _oh_. "Not easy. Disturbing."

"I thought she spent her nights with her coven." Sam points out.

"Pick a different woman, one with blood running through her veins."

_Oh, she has blood running through her veins and so much more. _Cooper finishes his shot, some liquid courage because he's basically about to out his relationship with the so-called ice queen. Cooper pats his friends on the back as he walks over to Charlotte. Sam and Pete look at him like he's lost his mind which he may very well have. _This might be the biggest mistake, but I'm a little bit drunk. _Cooper walks up to the two women talking and enjoying themselves and leans in close. "Leave with me right now."

Charlotte looks over at Sam and Pete who are watching. "Don't you dare out me." _This will not end well._

"Leave with me right now please. I'll do the thing with my tongue…twice."

_He had to say that, didn't he and those damn puppy dog eyes. He's good. _Charlotte turns to her friend and whispers something. She grabs Cooper's hand and they walk passed Pete and Sam who look on. Stunned doesn't even begin to cover what they're feeling. _God dammit. The cat's outta the bag now. This is just what I need…especially because I'm opening a practice right below theirs. Whatever, I need sex right now. I'll deal with the aftermath later. _ They walk out of the bar and they drive to Cooper's apartment.

* * *

><p>Cooper pushes Charlotte onto the bed and pretty soon they're naked. She opens her mouth to say something but Cooper shuts her up by crashing his lips into hers. He knows there's going to be hell to pay in the morning, but right now, he's just enjoying Charlotte's exposed body. He kisses down her body and she grabs onto the back of his head. She wants to hit him for outing their relationship, but as he continues down her body, she forgets all about it. They inch up to the pillows and slips underneath the sheets. Cooper slides farther and finds refuge in between her legs. He melts into the sheet and licks the outside of her thigh, moving his tongue slowly up and over. He sucks a little and then his tongue made its entrance. She bites her bottom lip as he continues to explore. He gently massages her with his tongue, sucking when necessary. She screams and he kisses up her body. He presses his lips to hers softly and then rolls off of her. Her toes curl under and she turns onto her side. She slips her hand under the sheet and grabs him. She feels him stiffen in her hand as she gently massages him. She climbs on top of him and lays flat against his chest. She kisses his jaw as she maneuvers herself so he can slide in.<p>

After a little more than five minutes, Charlotte rolls off of him and clutches the sheet in her fists. She bites the inside of her lip. _Definitely worth it. _She reflects, as she tries to catch her breath. Cooper sucks on his tongue as he lay there with sweat dripping down his face. _This is real, now. We're a cou-ple,_ she thought, as she rolls over to tug at his bottom lip.

* * *

><p>The next morning, the whole Oceanside Wellness crew is in the kitchen. Pete and Sam can't wait to share the news about Cooper and Charlotte. Secrets are kept seldom around here. The doctors are full of laughs and OMGs when Violet walks in. Naomi can't contain herself so she blurts out that Cooper had slept with Charlotte King, unaware that Violet already knows. Her face says it all. Sam, Pete, Naomi, and Addison all try to read the expression in her eyes. Naomi runs off a grocery list of questions trying to uncover the secret Violet was trying hard not to tell. Cooper walks into the kitchen, looking like he got no sleep last night, which he probably didn't. "Morning," he grumbles.<p>

Naomi perks up. "You're dating Charlotte King?"

Violet whips around, sensing his contempt. "I didn't say a word."

After a few minutes of shock, Cooper finally speaks. "Yes, we're dating." He glares at Violet. He needs someone to blame even though he knows damn well that it was his fault his relationship is out in the open now. "If you don't like it, you can deal with me," with that, he leaves the kitchen and the curious faces, and heads to his office. _There. They know. That wasn't too bad. _He shuts the door to his office and slumps down in his chair._ I'm dating Charlotte King, open and freely. _He quivers a little and sticks his nose in a folder that he just opened on his desk. _It's real…_

* * *

><p>Cooper's standing in the doorway of his office. Violet brushes passed him. "You told them about Charlotte."<p>

"I didn't. They guessed. And why do you care? You're the one who walked out of the bar with Cruella?"

"My relationship with Charlotte is mine, not yours to share or mock or call _Cruella._"

"You're the one who outed your relationship. You don't have the right to be mad at me."

"Sorry. I had a few too many drinks and I did a spontaneous thing. And now everyone knows about it and that's…it makes it real. It's very, very, real." He sits down on a chair.

"Well, real is a good thing, right?" She sits down on the chair opposite him.

"Yeah, I guess." _It's scary._

"Ok, look. It's true I don't like Cruella—Charlotte, but that doesn't mean…Coop, you shouldn't be afraid to hope, to want it to work out. Hoping is healthy."

"Real is a good thing."

"Real is a good thing," she assured.

The peaceful, epiphany moment is ruined by the banging and drilling from downstairs. Violet's frustration finally boils over and she marches out of Cooper's office and downstairs to see who's responsible for the noise.

* * *

><p>The elevator doors slide open on the fourth floor and Violet steps out into the construction. There's a woman in a yellow, hardhat bossing people around. Violet makes her way through the mess. A man moves a ladder out of the way just as the mystery woman turns around. Violet stops in her tracks as she notices Cruella herself, Charlotte King, right in front of her. Charlotte looks at Violet. <em>Great. Just what I need. <em>"You're the one responsible for all this drilling and banging?"

"Try to avoid manual labor, but I am leasing the space." Charlotte walks passed Violet to sign for something.

"For what?"

"I'm opening a new medical practice."

"You're opening a practice here?"

"What about Cooper?"

"This has nothing to do with him."

"He's your boyfriend."

"This is business and Cooper is personal." _Or at least to me._

"It's not that simple."

"Maybe not for you, but I am not a therapist. I don't have to talk about my feelings until everyone else's ears bleed."

"You need to tell him."

"I don't need to do anything."

"If you don't do it, then I will."

_Ooh, I'm scared. _"Fine. I'll tell him." _When this place is finished and staffed._

"Good."

"Now get out. I'm working." Violet looks at her one last time and then walks back to the elevator. _She's not really gonna tell him, is she? He won't care, right? This is business. He understands that. I'm under contract. I can't tell him…yet. He'll understand that. Maybe if I tell him why…no because I don't even know why I did it. I'm always looking for something more…he should be happy that I'm helping his practice, shouldn't he? _She shakes her head to clear away the thoughts and gets back to what she does best, bossing people around.

* * *

><p>Cooper walks into Violet's office after hearing about the drama with Addison's patients. He sits down next to her on the couch. He's a little frustrated that Violet's not really listening to him right now, how she's giving him the cold shoulder. She's obviously thinking about Charlotte, wanting to give Charlotte a chance to come clean with Cooper. When he starts talking about how he knows what this whole, not-looking-him-in-the-eye thing is all about, she thinks that Charlotte actually told him, but then he says something about how he should have told her before he outed his relationship. Violet stands up and storms out of her office.<p>

* * *

><p>The next day, Violet rides the elevator down to the fourth floor, ready to confront Charlotte again. Charlotte's standing at a drawing board, looking over the plans for the space. Violet walks up to her. "You haven't told Cooper the truth yet."<p>

Charlotte rolls her eyes at the sudden voice next to her. "You're not very good at letting things go, are you?"

"You know what I think?" _Here we go. She's gonna shrink me now,_ Charlotte thinks as she half listens to Violet. "I think you're scared."

"Of what?"

"I think this relationship is getting real so you're just as scared as Cooper is, so you're trying to sabotage it. Take a new job. Rent the floor under him. Keep it from him. You want this to blow up in your face."

"You know what I think? I think you're not half the shrink you think you are." Violet just nods and walks away. "Where are you goin'?"

"To tell Cooper the truth," she says as she walks toward the elevator.

Charlotte watches Violet disappear. _Crap. I didn't rent this space to push him away. I did it so I could help him. I can't tell him because I have a contract. She's not gonna tell him. She's not. Cooper won't understand, who was I kiddin'? It's Cooper. He blurs the line between business and personal. I am scared, but not only because it's real…because I'm in love with him._ _I don't want to tell him because it will blow up in my face and that's not what I want. That's the opposite of what I want. _Charlotte shudders secretly and looks around to see if anyone's paying attention to her. _This will just blow over. Once he knows, he'll know. _She blinks and looks back down at the blueprints.

* * *

><p>Violet walks into Cooper's office expecting to tell him about Charlotte, but he won't let her speak. He's going on and on about how he thinks she feels like, since things are going well with Charlotte that he's going to forget about Violet or not be there for her. Violet wants to tell him, but she doesn't want to break apart his happiness just yet. She's giving Charlotte more time. Maybe she'll tell him tonight. Violet and Cooper relax into the couch.<p>

* * *

><p>Charlotte uses her key that Cooper gave her and walks into Cooper's apartment. Cooper just called and said he was on his way. Charlotte stands by the window, staring down at the street. <em>Why did I even have to rent that floor…no, this is a good thing. I need more. I get to help Cooper and myself at the same time. Violet was bluffing…she had to be. Wait, it's Violet. She likes to stick her nose in where it doesn't belong and cause hell whenever possible. She's Cooper's best friend…of course she told him. I'm screwed. <em>She hears footsteps and she whips around. Cooper's taking off his backpack and smiling. _Maybe this won't be too bad, _she thinks as she looks at him, trying to read his face. "So, I told them you're my girlfriend and if they didn't like that, they were gonna have to deal with me." He walks up to her and closes the gap between them a little.

"You did?"

"Uh huh."

"What about Violet?"

He inches up close to her mouth. "I think she was worried about us coming out, but I took care of it."

Charlotte's smiling now. _She didn't tell him? _"That's it?"

Cooper pushes Charlotte to the bed. "She's happy for me…for us." He hovers over her, resting in a push position, as he presses his lips into hers. He kisses down her body, starting with her cleavage.

Charlotte swallows and rubs his head and neck as he descends. "I guess I misjudged her." She lets out a breath as Cooper continues to move down her body. _I guess she does know how to let things go. _She stops thinking as Cooper engulfs her mouth again.

* * *

><p><strong>I tried putting more inner thoughts in this chapter, not sure how effective they were, but there you have it. <strong>

**feedback is my friend :D**


	9. You Want Me to Melt?

**time for some real conflict :)**

* * *

><p>Violet comes out of Dell's office and runs into Cooper. "Looks like I'm not the only one that objects to your new patient."<p>

"Why are all you mad at me? It was a court mandate." She pauses. "Oh, oh, did something else happen?"

"Besides the pedophile? What are you talking about? No, I came in here in a great mood…"

"Really? So you and Charlotte are…"

"Great. We're great. I'm thinking about asking her to move in with me." Cooper leaves and walks into his office. _What's with her? _

Violet stands there for a few minutes before going down to the fourth floor. "Great."

* * *

><p>Violet walks through the construction and right up to Charlotte, who's checking out paint color swatches. "You haven't told Cooper." Charlotte says something to the guy and turns her attention to Violet. "I want something to be handled."<p>

"I thought we were on the same side here." _Can't she just let this go? I said I'd take care of it, I will._

"You're opening up a practice that competes with your boyfriend's, in his building, you're in charge and you haven't told him?"

"I will find the right moment and when I…"

"You know, I don't like you, Charlotte, but Cooper does. So do us both a favor and tell him…tonight."

Charlotte stares at Violet as she walks away. _Why can't Cooper have a different best friend? One who's less nosy and up in OUR business._ She quickly dismisses any thought of Violet and Cooper and goes back to work.

* * *

><p>Charlotte's checking out the description of one of the books, <span>Couples<span>, on display in the ballroom at Archer Montgomery's big party, trying to figure out if there's anything about whether she should be honest with Cooper or not, when Violet creeps up to her. "Did you tell him yet?"

_You've got to be kiddin' me. _Charlotte whips her head up and looks directly into Violet's eyes. Charlotte clenches her jaw slightly. "Not here."

"Not here. Not there. I'm not gonna cover for you anymore."

Cooper comes up oblivious to what's going on between the women in his life. "How great is this?" He hands Charlotte the drink he was off getting and kisses both of them on the cheek. "My two favorite girls, making an effort to get to know each other, how great is that?" A waitress comes by with a tray of something. "Oh, how is great is this? Unlimited spanakopita."

He hands it up for Violet. "No, no. I'm good." She pauses and looks at Charlotte. "I'm gonna go. Give you two time to…talk." She pauses to emphasize talk.

* * *

><p>Charlotte looks down, but looks up when Cooper starts talking. "Hey, what do you think about moving in with me."<p>

_This is gettin' serious. I can't tell him I'll move in with him if I can't even tell him about Pacific Wellcare. There's a chance he kicks me out when he finally finds out…probably from Violet. _She rolls her eyes internally. _She needs to mind her own business. _"Uh, I'll think about it."

Cooper kisses her on the cheek. "Good." He pauses. "Crazy party, right?"

She's looking at the floor at this point. "Huh?"

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, Cooper." _Except for the whole building a competing medical practice under yours thing._

"Ok." He clangs his glass to hers. "Cheers to us maybe moving in together." Charlotte clangs back and swallows, trying to avoid unnecessary eye contact because she knows Cooper can read her easily.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Charlotte comes out of Cooper's bathroom dressed in a makeshift nun's outfit. Cooper's on the bed, a little bit drunk, staring at her, smiling. He stands up and walks over to Charlotte. "I wanted to thank you for caring for the children…"<p>

She puts her finger on his lips. "Shhh, they're sleeping." She pushes him onto the bed and he scoots up towards the pillows. She delicately kisses him on the lips and runs down his body with her lips. She slides her hand under the waistband of his boxer briefs and gently massages him. He moans a little and she slips off his underwear completely. She straddles him and shoves her lips against his. She sucks on his bottom lip and gives it a slight tug. Their lips part a little and their tongues slide across each other. Charlotte glides up and down his body as Cooper inserts himself inside. "Oh, Captain," she squeals as she feels him against her. She kisses his jaw and runs her fingers through his hair.

A few minutes later, they're laying flat against each other as they kiss. She tugs on his upper lip and sucks on it. She then rolls over onto her back on the side of the bed next to him. She's basking in the glow of that after sex feeling and breathing heavy. A thin layer of sweat is present on her forehead and she's still tingling. A vision of Violet pops into her head which sort of ruins the moment so she bites the inside of her cheek and turns to Cooper, who's now passed out next to her. She laughs and leans back against the pillows. _If Violet tells him, it would be easier, wouldn't it? _She continues to think until she succumbs to the alcohol herself and falls asleep.

* * *

><p>Violet walks through the hallway as Cooper comes in from the lobby. He has this goofy grin on his face as he high fives Violet. "You're in a good mood?" She follows him into his office. "You took the morning off. I thought something might be wrong."<p>

"No. Just tired and hungover. After the party last night, I was Captain Von Trapp, Charlotte was a nun. We were celebrating." He takes a sip from his water bottle.

"Celebrating?"

"She might move in." He studies Violet's change in expression. "Oh, don't even say it. I told you about this. It's good. It's a good thing. It's healthy."

Violet walks over to the door and shuts it. She turns back to Cooper. "The construction on the fourth floor is for a competing medical practice that Charlotte's going to be running." Cooper looks at her, confused and his face almost turns completely white. _What?_ "I wanted to tell you. It's been killing me to keep it a secret, but she said she would tell you and you've been so happy…"

"And you've known this for how long?" _I just asked her to move in with me. You think Violet would have said something before. _

"I wanted to tell you."

"Well you should have!" He storms out of his office and swings open the door with so much force, the glass shatters. _She's been using me this whole time? I ask her to move in with me and she says she'll think about it. She's not thinking about it at all. She's just trying to weasel more information out of me. I told her about the fourth floor and instead of saying everything'll work out, she goes and uses that information to help herself. I can't believe I've been so stupid. And Violet. She's supposed to be my best friend and she helps Charlotte lie to me? What the hell? Betrayed twice in one day. I was in a great mood and now this…_He forcefully presses the elevator button and taps his foot as he waits for doors to slide open. Patients are staring at him, but he doesn't care. He's so furious that he's not even paying attention to them. "Come on!" Cooper kicks the elevator doors and then storms down the stairs.

* * *

><p>Cooper pushes the door open to the fourth floor and breezes past all the construction workers, not caring what any of them have to say. He walks right up to Charlotte who's looking over plans. She hears footsteps and turns around, believing it to be Violet. She has her insults and comebacks ready, but her eyes widen and she gasps. "Cooper…" <em>Great.<em>

"You used me. You slept with me. Heard about our financial problems, our fourth floor problems and you swooped in, what, what's this about?"

"Don't you dare come down here usin' that tone with me. This is business and we're personal. I couldn't tell you because I signed a nondisclosure agreement when they hired me and until this place was staffed, I couldn't tell anyone."

_That's crap._ "But Violet's known for…"

"Violet found out something she shouldn't and I told her I'd find the time to tell you…when I could. Now you know. I'm glad you know." Tears are brimming in her eyes that aren't visible to anyone. The only evidence of her heightened emotional state is the slight crackle in her voice. She lets out a breath. _He knows. I guess that's good? No, it is good. We can get passed this. This'll blow over tomorrow, especially with what I have planned for tonight. _Cooper stays silent. He doesn't want to say something he'll regret, so he just storms out. _Maybe not. _She turns her focus back to her work. No sense in thinking about this anymore. If anything can make her forget about Cooper, bossing people around would do it or at least it used to help her forget about things. _I wish forgetting about Cooper was that easy. _She sighs and tries to focus on her work.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Cooper's lying on his bed, staring at the wall. <em>How could I have been so stupid? She's Charlotte King, I should have known she was up to something. Love is pointless. Casual sex is the way to go. <em>He lets out a loud, frustrated sigh. He hears a key in the lock and soon Charlotte's standing in the opening between the living room and his bedroom. He turns his head towards her. "I want my key back."

"I brought you a present." She whips open her coat to revel herself covered in frosting. "It's all edible. In fact, that's chocolate frosting you're staring at." _He's a man. He can't resist this. _"Bon Appétit." Cooper just rolls his eyes. He's fighting his own demons. Part of him wants to lick her clean, but the other part wants nothing to do with her. "You want me to melt?" She gets onto the bed and slowly creeps up towards him. She lays flat against him and tugs on his bottom lip. She crashes her lips against his while he just lays there, trying to suppress the impulse to kiss her back. He eventually gives in. He sucks on her lips and messes up her short, blonde hair. She rolls over onto the bed and he runs his tongue along her breasts. He licks his lips and tastes the frosting against them. She runs her fingers through his hair and bites the inside of her cheek. She can feel his tongue slide across her body and a tingle runs up her spine. He sucks up every last bit of frosting he can manage. He slides down her body with his lips and then back up to her mouth. He presses his lips to hers and sucks on her jaw.

Ten minutes later, they're both on their backs. Cooper licks his lips clear of the extra frosting and breathes heavy. He forgot what she did in those few minutes and just stares at the ceiling. Charlotte's in the bathroom and she turns on the shower. She's now standing in the doorway, completely naked. He turns his head and finds himself leaping towards her. She pulls off his shirt and pajama shorts and they slip into the falling water. He presses her up against the wall and kisses her neck. He runs his fingers through her wet hair and pushes his body into hers. He washes the rest of the frosting off of her and then breathes in some stream.

After another roll in the sheets, Charlotte leaves. He's left alone in his bed and his eyes widen. _I was furious and then she shows up covered in frosting and I give in. No! She used me. She lied to me. _He sighed heavily. _I can't believe I just did that. I'm a human being, not a saint. I'm a man, god dammit. A woman shows up covered in frosting in your bedroom, what would you have done? But if she thinks she can just cover herself in chocolate and all will be forgotten? I don't think so._ He bit his bottom lip and rolled onto his side. _All is definitely not forgotten. _He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>The next day, Cooper steps into the elevator and rides down to the fourth floor. He walks slowly up to Charlotte, who's staring at floor samples. "Char," she turns around and smiles at him, "I came down here yesterday to tell you off, tell you I hated you, and you turned it around. You do this to me and you pretend that it's ok, that things are normal, and I let you. I slept with you, I ate chocolate off your naked body, but this is not normal, this is not ok."<p>

"This isn't about us."_ Do I have to spell it out for everyone? This is business. This has nothing to do with us._

"I asked you to move in. I was ready for you to be part of my life, but clearly I'm not part of yours." He pauses. "I'm done, Charlotte." He looks at her, waiting for her to object or do something remotely human, but she says nothing. He shakes his head and walks away.

Charlotte watches him walk away, trying not to let the tears that are forming in her eyes, escape. _Dammit. This is what I didn't want because I'm in love with him and he doesn't want anything to do with me. I should have just told him from the beginning. This'll just blow over. He can't be mad at me forever, right?_ She exhales and turns back to the floor swatches. She swallows and looks around. _This better be worth it._

* * *

><p><strong><em>thanks for the reviews.<em>**

**_please continue to review._**


	10. Small, Petty, Little Man

**please read/review **

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><p>Sam and Cooper are playing racquetball at the local gym they always workout at. It's been a few days since his split with Charlotte and although he loves her, he can't trust her. He's trying to forget about her, but she works downstairs. She's the chief of staff at St. Ambrose. He can't get away from her. Cooper hits the ball and it hits Sam in the ass, pretty hard. "You did that on purpose."<p>

"Ah, come on man." He pauses to catch his breath. "If you didn't suck, you wouldn't get hit."

"I don't suck. I played on a team, man. You suck."

Cooper whips around. "Say that to my face?" They inch closer together.

"I am saying it to your face. You suck!"

Both men start cracking up because of how ridiculous their exchange was. "We need woman."

"Word." Sam pauses. "I hate racquetball."

"She's working in our building. Charlotte is working in our building. I can't get away from her."

"Well, Naomi is right down the hall, two doors away. You think that's easy."

"You know I wish she would just die."

"Whoa."

"No, not in a bad way. Just slightly dead." Cooper arches his eyebrows. "You know, and then I wouldn't have to see her face. She'd just be a memory. You ever wish Naomi dead?"

"Hey man, that's the mother of my child…yes, I do, actually. When she had sex with that guy. I wish she was dead. "

"Alright, let's go again." He puts on his protective glasses and gets into position. Sam's phone rings and he answers it to find out Violet needs him. Cooper sighs. "She's calling you? She wouldn't let me call her when the models are walking. Why's she calling you?" He throws a ball at Sam. "Trader." Sam rushes out of the clear bubble, leaving Cooper confused. _I need to get laid, _he thinks as he starts playing by himself. Hitting the ball against the wall and chasing after it. _Man, I need a woman. _ He takes one last swing at the ball, pretending the ball is Charlotte's face. He's not paying attention as it comes at his face at full force. He teeters backwards, rubbing his cheek. _I hate racquetball…and Charlotte. _He throws the ball at the wall and lets out an aggravated sigh. He bends over with his hands on his knees and tries to catch his breath. _Love…there's a reason casual sex works better than relationships. _He grabs his stuff from the case in the wall and leaves the gym.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Cooper's waiting for the elevator on the ground floor when Charlotte rounds the corner. They share a look and a possible eye roll as she stands next to him. Charlotte walks up to the elevator and presses the up button, although it is clearly already pushed. "I…" There's an awkward silence as they wait for the elevator to open. Cooper turns to Charlotte. "The elevator's mine. You can have the fourth floor, but the elevator's mine. You can take the stairs."<p>

_Is he five? Marking the elevator as "his" territory? He doesn't own the elevator. It doesn't have his name on it. _"Tell you what. I'll give you one more day to calm yourself down, work through your anger, angst, or whatever it is you're all hot and bothered about, and then we're gonna get together and discuss this…like grown adults."

The elevator dings and Cooper lets out a breath as he steps inside. "Tell you what, Charlotte. Go. To. Hell." He disappears behind the closed elevator doors.

Charlotte rolls her eyes and sighs. _What is his problem? I know what his problem is, but he's acting like a child. _Charlotte lets out a breath and waits a few minutes before taking the elevator up to the fourth floor.

* * *

><p>Cooper walks into the kitchen, where everyone is gathered around the island discussing Violet's patient. They all can't believe how Doug Adams shot his wife. Violet's trying to defend her patient by saying he wasn't the type to kill, but Cooper interjects. "There is no type. Regular, normal people are driven to murder every day. Right? Love. Love will do it every time. Twisted, sick, messed up love." The whole group is silent and they're staring at Cooper.<p>

Sam looks at him. "Cooper, Charlotte King is still alive, right?"

"Yes, I wasn't talking about me. I'm just saying. The impulse. We all have it." Their conversation is interrupted by Pete's girlfriend or whatever she is to him. They continue to eat their breakfast after Naomi and Meg leave.

* * *

><p>Cooper comes out in the lobby after grabbing a few folders from his desk from the patients he saw earlier that day. The receptionist hands him his pink message slips when the elevator dings. He looks over to see who's there and grits his teeth when she notices it's Charlotte. She looks at him, but breezes past him and continues towards Addison's office. "What did I tell you about the elevator?" He pauses and follows her. "I'm not talking to you."<p>

Charlotte knocks on the doorframe of Addison's office and she looks up from her computer. "Charlotte King, oh yay, my day is made," she says sarcastically.

"I need a favor, Montgomery."

"Oh that's rich. You open a practice right underneath us and you need a favor from us." Cooper walks behind Addison. _She doesn't quit does she?_

"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important and I'm not coming to you from Pacific Wellcare." She glares at Cooper before turning her attention back to Addison. "I'm coming to you from my capacity as Chief of Staff at St. Ambrose." Cooper mocks her juvenilely. "So as Chief of Staff at the hospital where you attend surgical privileges, I'm hoping we can be civil."

"What is it?"

"No, don't engage."

"Breath, Cooper. We can be civil. What is it?"

"I have a pregnant mom who needs your expertise."

_Really? That's what she's going with? _"Nice try. Every pregnant mom could use Addison's expertise."

"This case is special."

"What do you mean special?"

"Just come. I'll tell you at the hospital. Believe me, it's special."

Cooper rolls his eyes as the two women leave. _She's taking over and why should anyone believe her, she's a liar? _He thinks before leaving himself.

* * *

><p>Charlotte briefs Addison about the comatose patient who's in labor. Addison checks the woman out as she listens to the story about the car accident that left her in the coma in the first place. She discovers that the baby's breeched, which means the woman has to have a C-section, but the man, who was supposedly her husband, is adamant that Elena has to deliver the baby naturally. Although the neurologist told him repeatedly that Elena wasn't going to wake up, he needs to believe that the process of giving birth will be enough to bring her back. The two women leave the room and walk down the hallway. "He's going to kill his own child."<p>

"He loves her. He sat here every day. He wants her back."

"She's not waking up, Charlotte. Rip Van Winkle is a fairytale. Don't tell me you're going sentimental."

"Hardly. I find him touching." _I understand him. Sean needs to believe something will bring them back together._

"Great. Do you want to comfort him when he loses them both?" Addison hands Charlotte the chart.

"There's really nothing you can do to help her deliver naturally?"

"No and even if she could deliver naturally, the chances of her coming out of that coma are…"

"Almost none."

"I need to do a C-section. I need to get the baby out now or both mom and baby could die."

"We can't make him. We can't force him to let us cut her open." She pauses. "Maybe you could talk to him, get to know him. He warms up to you and you help him understand…"

"No, that's your job, Charlotte, as chief of staff. My job as consult is to get the baby out."

"I have a practice to get back to."

"So do I." Addison pauses. "We…have to work together to help that family."

"Yes, we do."

"I'll put her on terbutaline to temporarily stop the contractions, but that'll only get you through the end of the day."

"I'll consult legal, see if there's any way we can override the father and do the C without consent."

"Ok." Addison takes the chart from Charlotte.

"Ok." _This is gonna be a long day._ The two women walk in opposite directions.

* * *

><p>Sam, Pete and Cooper are sitting at the island in the kitchen, eating lunch. "It's not that I don't want her here. I just…"<p>

"Don't want her here."

"She just did it. She didn't even ask me."

_Sounds familiar. _"Welcome to my world."

"I guess it's better than her going down a floor and getting a job with Charlotte."

"When you're working with someone you love, you gotta be respectful of each other. You have to communicate."

_Charlotte doesn't communicate. That's the problem. _"Yeah, that worked so well for you and Naomi, you got divorced." Cooper took a sip of his water.

"It's not like she went behind my back, she just…"

"Went behind your back." Sam says with a mouth full of fruit.

"Stop finishing my sentences." Pete pauses. "She's a good doctor. She's gonna be fine." Dell walks in asking if they knew Meg was going to be doing abortions and the debate begins. Eventually, Addison asks the men to leave and they don't object.

* * *

><p>After Charlotte does some digging, she discovers that Sean and Elena aren't married at all, so the C-section is scheduled for the afternoon.<p>

A couple hours later, Addison's in the scrub room, getting ready to perform the C-section, when Charlotte storms in. "It's off." Addison looks up. "Baby daddy went to court to get an injunction as guardian over the baby. There's not gonna be any surgery…not today."

The two women look into the OR. "No. The patient is prepped and ready to go. If we don't get that baby out, we risk the chance of it developing hypoxia. Dammit."

"I know. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. Scrub out."

Addison lets out a frustrated sigh and rips off her mask. "So what next?"

"I'll see if I can convince the judge to get over here and clear this up."

"If the baby lives long enough." Addison opens the door and before she leaves, Charlotte starts talking.

"Can I ask you…?

Addison turns back around to face Charlotte. "What?"

"Cooper?"

"You betrayed him, Charlotte."

"So how long is he gonna make me pay for my crime?"

"He's angry. I don't see that ending anytime soon."

Charlotte's trying not to show her emotion, but her voice shows it all. She looks at the floor to try to conceal the tears that are brimming in her eyes. "Yeah. Ok. Yeah."

Addison rests her head on the door. "You're in love with him."

"I am not. I just…I am not." Addison smiles. "And this doesn't make us friends. We're not friends, Montgomery. Don't go gettin' any ideas."

"I have no intention of being friends with you." She smiles and leaves the scrub room.

Charlotte lets out a puff of air. _Dammit. _She sucks back the tears in her eyes and leans against the sink. _Dammit. Maybe if I…a-pol-o-gize._ She shudders at the thought. _Maybe he's forgotten already. He'll probably need a drink after work. I'll just wait for him and…am I really thinking about waiting for him to come home. Am I that desperate? I need to apologize. I screwed up. Maybe he'll forgive me. I hate that he's making me like this. All I wanted was casual sex and now I have a broken heart and it's my own damn fault. I thought I was done with all this…relationships. _She pauses in thought and realizes she's still in the scrub room. She lets out a breath and composes herself before walking down the hall. _Maybe he'll listen to me if I corner him. _She bites the inside of her cheek as she disappears into her office.

* * *

><p>Cooper turns the corner and notices Charlotte leaning against a wooden block. <em>Great<em>. "What are you doing here?"

She stands up, awkwardly, and walks in front of his door. "I just thought you might be in the mood for a drink after a hard day at the office."

"No thanks."

"Cooper…"

"Get…out from in front of my door." She doesn't move. He steps forward. "Move." He lifts her up from her armpits and manually moves her to the side.

Charlotte takes in a deep breath. "I'm sorry, ok? I'm sorry. I'll do the time, whatever you want, I'll do the time, but I am sorry."

"Just go home." Cooper disappears into his loft and leans against the door. _She apologized? Did I over react? No. Absolutely not. I didn't. She lied to me. She betrayed me. Maybe…no, be strong, Cooper. She lied to you, remember? Don't give into her. This is just one more way she's manipulating you. _Cooper sighs and closes his eyes, still pressed up against the door.

Charlotte rests against his door, trying not to cry. She has tears threatening to escape, but she tries to stay strong. She lets out a frustrated sigh. _Dammit. Dammit! _A single tear slides down her cheek, but she quickly wipes it away. _You're strong, Charlotte. Don't let him take that away. He's not worth it. _She straightens up and walks out of the building. _He'll forgive me eventually, right?_

* * *

><p>Cooper's standing in the lobby at the front desk when Violet steps out of the elevator. He's checking his messages as Violet walks up to him. "Hey." Cooper grunts and looks up a little. "Ooh, that bad?" He grumbles through a clenched jaw. "Use your words, sweetie."<p>

He stands straight and turns his face towards Violet, slightly. "Charlotte…apologized."

"Did you forgive her?"

"NO! Should I? Am I being petty? Like a small, petty, little man?"

"You know, yesterday I would have said, no, absolutely not. Do not forgive her. She demeans your entire relationship with that practice downstairs, but today, maybe? I don't know, but anger and resentment can build up until…I don't know anything. Just don't wear an orange jumpsuit and ask me to testify." Violet storms off to her office. Cooper turns around to follow her with his eyes. He furrows his brow. _What? That didn't help. She's supposed to have all the answers. Maybe Charlotte has a good reason…no, she lied to me. I don't care what the reason is, she lied to me. She betrayed me. It'll take a lot more than an apology to make me forgive her. _He lets a longer grunt escape and stalks off in a huff into his office. _Can't she see that what she did was wrong? Apology or not, she did wrong. She lied to me. If she thinks, I'm just gonna forgive and forget, she has another thing coming to her. _He pauses in thought to breathe. _God, that woman. _He leans back in his chair and puts his hands behind his head. _God, that woman._ He grits his teeth and grumbles some more.

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><p><strong>Reviews are greatly appreciated...let me know what you think. :D<strong>


	11. Walter and Marjorie

Cooper storms through the lobby and up to the elevator. He breezes passed Violet carrying a cardboard box. _Don't stop. Keep moving. _Violet follows him with her eyes, confused. "What's in the box, Cooper?"

"Getting rid of her." He steps into the elevator. "_It_. Stuff. Can't talk. Don't want to forget my speech."

"Cooper, rage is not a healthy option."

The door slides closed and Cooper takes a breath. He whispers his speech to himself. _This is good. This is healthy. _He thinks as he steps out of the elevator on the fourth floor. He storms into Charlotte's office, not bothering to knock. He slams the box on her desk, just to get her attention . "Your nun's habit, your suede flogger, your pink wartenberg wheel, the cornstalk." _There. That was easy._

Charlotte stares at him, but talks to her assistant, who's standing next to her. "Get out."

The guy laughs, but Cooper looks at him. "She means you."

He laughs again and turns to Charlotte for clarification. She motions him out of the room with her eyes. Her stomach turns and she can feel the acid sliding up her esophagus. She swallows. "Thank you for returning my things." She tightens her stomach, trying not to show her discomfort. "Please leave."

"I would like my things back."

She doesn't look at him. She's concentrating on not blowing chunks all over him. "Not gonna happen. Spoils the war. Leave now."

"Looks like I've upset you which I think is," _she lied to me and she has the nerve to be upset that I gave her back her stuff…_

_Oh god. _Charlotte springs up, holding her stomach, and throws her head over the trash can. The warm liquid splutters out into the bin. _Ugh_. Charlotte stands up and shakes her hair out of her face. She swallows and lets out a breath.

Cooper looks on confused, but his doctor instinct and his empathy kicks in. "You alright?"

Charlotte closes her eyes and leans against the wall. She doesn't want to deal with him right now. "It's a 24 hour bug. Thank you for your sympathy, now get out."

Cooper turns to leave, but whips around. "You're pregnant."

"Don't be ridiculous."

He walks towards her. "Are your boobs tender? Are you…"

Charlotte yells at him as they walk over to the door. "Go away, Cooper! You've gotten rid of everything about me. Now go!"

"You have to take a pregnancy test."

"I'm not pregnant!" She pushes him forcefully out of her office and pulls the door closed. She holds her stomach when it turns. She runs to the garbage can and hugs the bin again. _Ugh. _She stands straight and wipes her mouth. She sinks into her desk chair and clutches her stomach. She shoves the box under her desk and closes her eyes. She lets out a breath. She burps and runs to the trashcan again. She moves the garbage can near her desk and opens up a folder. _Ugh. _She doesn't have the energy to work right now, but she doesn't have time to complain. She has a job to do.

* * *

><p>Charlotte's minding her own business in her office, staring at her computer and she's still a little queasy when Addison storms in. "If you wanna supply our patients with free coffee and breakfast, that's fine, but promising them false hope, is off limits."<p>

"Montgomery, nice to see ya."

Addison throws the file down on Charlotte's desk. "Leah Hudley has stage-two ovarian cancer and she wants a baby so badly she can't understand the gravity of her diagnosis and you've got Wyatt Lockhart promising her, her life and a baby, but without surgery or divine intervention, she is going to die."

"Not divine intervention." Addison flips around to find Wyatt in the doorway. "My intervention."

"Montgomery, Dr. Lockhart." Charlotte leans back in her chair and watches the two doctors argue back and forth on whose protocol is the better choice. Charlotte holds her stomach as she burps, silently. She covers her mouth and swallows, trying to control the urge to spew her breakfast all over the place. Charlotte listens and jumps into the conversation when there's an opening. "What you think is moot, Montgomery because Leah Hudley no longer wants you as her doctor. She wants in on his trial." Her eyes widen when the warm liquid floods her mouth. She makes some gagging noises which causes Addison to turn around. She abruptly stands up and runs out of her office.

* * *

><p>At the end of the work day, Charlotte walks out of Pacific Wellcare and towards the elevator. Cooper's standing at the door, out of sight. "Charlotte."<p>

Charlotte jumps and flips around. She's clutching her chest and she takes a deep breath. "You almost gave me a heart attack." She presses the button and looks at Cooper as he starts speaking.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm on the pill."

"You're a doctor. You know that's not 100%."

"Cooper, I would know if I was pregnant. I am not pregnant." _Oh my God. Just let it go, Cooper._

"You're cranky."

"I'm always cranky." _I have two jobs. Sleep deprivation comes with it._

"You're glowing."

"I'm always glowing." She steps into the elevator and presses the button. "Now please, stop stalkin' me and my womb." She rolls her eyes as the doors slide close. _I'm not pregnant. I can't be. Why is he so interested in my wellbeing all of a sudden? We're not together. He made that pretty damn clear. It's just a 24 hour bug. Tomorrow morning, I'll be fine. Maybe it's just the stress of the practice opening._ The doors open and she steps out into the lobby. She looks around to make sure Cooper's not hiding in a corner, ready to jump out, and get all up in her business again. She walks out of the building and drives home.

* * *

><p>The next night, Charlotte's in her bedroom looking at the box of stuff that Cooper dropped off in her office yesterday. She takes out the suede flogger from the box and whips it at the bed. She starts reminiscing about the fun nights she and Cooper shared with it and with the other things in the box. She clutches the side of the box and looks inside. Her eyes flow from one object to the next until her stomach flips. She throws her head down in the box as the warm liquid fills her mouth and spews out. She vomits into the box a few times and as she stands straight, she pushes her hair out of her face. She wipes her mouth with her hand and swallows. She holds her stomach and her eyes widen. She gasps. <em>No. I can't be. I'm not pregnant. I swear if he…<em>She rubs her stomach and glances down at the box. She grimaces and looks away. She closes her eyes. _No. No. No. Not now. Ugh. _Charlotte lets out a breath and bites the inside of her cheek. She teeters backwards and throws her arms out for balance. _No. No. No. _She holds her stomach, trying to suppress the nausea.

* * *

><p>The next day, Charlotte grabs a few pregnancy tests from the hospital before heading over to her practice. She storms up to the fifth floor and finds Cooper standing in the waiting area. She walks over to him. "Your paranoia's contagious. Let's get this done. I have sticks and I intend to pee on them." She looks away from him, starting to walk toward the bathroom, but takes a breath and turns back. "And if your boys swam through my weeds, and got me pregnant, I'm gonna make you suffer every step of the way." She deadpans and walks away. Cooper puts the stuffed animal he was holding back on the toy case and follows Charlotte. He blinks and takes a breath. He knows she means the last part, wholeheartedly.<p>

Cooper stands outside the bathroom for a second, making sure no one's paying attention. He slips in. "Think of waterfalls. It always works for me." He leans against the counter.

"Stop talking. I can't pee while you're talking," Charlotte says through the stall door.

"This is how it all begins."

"What?" She pulls her pants on.

"Parenthood."

She pulls up her zipper and flushes the toilet. "Stop it. Us with a little kid? That's insane."

"It's not that insane, Charlotte. I'm a pediatrician."

"We're broken up." _Remember? _She opens the stall door and steps into the bathroom. "Mission accomplished." She leans against the counter next to Cooper and picks up her phone. She pulls some hair away from her face and looks down at her phone. "Now, all we have to do is wait." She closes her eyes and lets out a breath. _This better be negative._

"Come on. A little Walter?"

She laughs a little. "Are you tryin' to be funny?"

"No, that was my grandfather. He was a piano tuner. Maybe he'll play a musical instrument, maybe the trumpet."

_Hmmm._ "Please. It could be a girl, Marjorie."

"Your grandmother?"

"My horse. Last animal I ever had. I was fifteen. She broke her ankle, had to shoot her." _Best horse I've ever had. _

Cooper can't help but laugh. "We're not talking about a pet. We're talking about a child." _What's that s'posed to mean, _Charlotte thinks as she glares at him. Cooper rests his hand on her back. "If it's a girl, Marjorie is great." Charlotte smiles a little. Cooper looks at the floor. "Maybe this is a really good thing, Charlotte. Babies bring good luck, happiness."

"Fate intervenes and pulls us back together." _Enough with all the sap, King. _She lets out a breath and looks down at her phone. "Time."

Cooper stands up straight. "Walter…" Charlotte gives a fierce glare. "Marjorie."

Charlotte looks at the plastic stick and then up at Cooper. She shakes her head and he nods. They share a look of half disappointment and half relief and then her cell phone beeps. She looks down at it and takes off her glove. She throws it on the counter and grabs her purse. "That's that." Cooper reaches out his hand to comfort her, but she breezes past him. She tosses the used pregnancy test in the trash and unlocks the bathroom door before slipping out into the hallway.

Cooper looks at the floor and sucks on the inside of his lip. _That's that. _He sighs and leans back on the counter top again. _That's that. She almost looked…no, don't do it. Stay strong, Cooper. Think about what she did. She lied to you. She doesn't want what you want. _He inhales and lets out his breath, slowly. He waits a few minutes and then leaves the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Charlotte rushes into Addison's office from the bathroom. "The Anti-Angiogenesis Agent caused a perforation in Leah's descending colon. She needs surgery…now." She emphasizes now.<p>

"What about Lockhart?"

"He's not a surgeon, Montgomery. She needs you." Addison closes the flies on her coffee table and grabs her scrub cap from her drawer. She grabs her purse and follows Charlotte out of the building.

* * *

><p>Cooper's standing outside, looking out into the ocean. He's thinking about the talk he and Charlotte had in the bathroom and sips his coffee. <em>Maybe I am overreacting. It's not like she killed someone…no, she lied to me. She used information I said to her in confidence to her own advantage. How can I trust her? Every time I say something to her, I'd be thinking about how she was gonna use it against me. It was nice talking to her again, but no…don't do this Cooper!<em>

He's shaken from his thoughts by Dell coming up next to him. "Do you ever feel like you're in way over your head?"

"Have you met me? I'm the king of in over my head." He turns around and leans against the railing. "Is this the adoption thing?"

"What if she changes her mind?"

"You know I was adopted, right? Well, my birth mother, she never wanted kids and then the day I was born, she wavered. She held me in her arms, and she couldn't give me up."

"What changed her mind?"

"You know as cute as I was, and I was cute, she realized what was best for me." He pauses. "Sometimes you have to let people waver, so they figure out what's real and what's not."

"Your parents are lucky she made the right choice."

"I'd hate to think of where I'd be if she hadn't." He takes a sip of his coffee and nods his head. "She'll make the right decision."

"I hope." Dell turns around and looks out at the pier.

Cooper follows suit and pats Dell's back. "She's young. She'll realize, maybe not now, but soon, that adoption is the best thing for her baby." Cooper exhales and watches the Ferris wheel spin around. _Sometimes you have to let people waver so they can figure out what's real and what's not…Charlotte lied to me. She doesn't want what I want. I can't trust her. I don't need her. There's no future there. I just got wrapped up in the whole baby thing this morning. It didn't mean anything. I'm not overreacting._

* * *

><p>Charlotte's standing outside the entrance to the hallway of Leah Hudley's room, waiting for Addison. She turns the corner and Charlotte stands up from her position on the wall.<p>

How's she doin'?"

"She's stable. Still in a lot of pain."

Both women walk through the double doors. "I hear the cancer's shrinking."

"I still think he's a reckless son of a bitch and what, what rock did you find him under?"

"He's good for business, Montgomery. I don't have to like him."

Addison puts her hands on her hips. "Oh, you don't like him?"

"He's out for glory, he's arrogant, and I don't trust him."

"Sounds like someone who might use insider information from their boyfriend to start their own practice. I guess you two were made for each other." Addison turns around and starts walking towards the door. Charlotte scrunches up her face, trying not to break down. Tears are brimming in her eyes and threatening to escape. Addison notices her expression change and looks back. "Charlotte…"

Charlotte clears her throat and looks up. "I'm fine. I'm fine. It's just, uh, long day."

"Did you, uh, wanna talk?"

She shakes her head. "No." She sniffles and looks at the floor. "No. I don't wanna talk."

"K."

"Ok." Addison's confused, but walks out of the room. Charlotte covers her face with her hand and bends over. Some tears trickle down her cheeks and she wobbles backwards a little. She braces herself on the wall and looks down at the floor. _Stay strong, Charlotte. You're at work, remember? Snap out of it. There's nothin' you can do about Cooper._ _You were strong before him and you're still strong now. _Charlotte wipes her eyes clean of tears so that the only evidence she had been crying was her red tinged eyes. She straightens up and centers herself. She smoothes down her lab coat and walks down the hall.

* * *

><p>Charlotte walks up from downstairs and into Cooper's office. He's sitting at his desk, looking over notes from the day when she knocks on the doorframe. He looks up and internally groans. <em>What is she doing here?<em> She walks in a little farther and stands just in front of his desk. "Turns out, it was the lobster in the breakfast buffet that made me sick and a whole host of patients who won't be coming back." She smiles ad he rolls his eyes, but she just continues. "It was nice spending time with you this morning."

"This morning I thought you were pregnant. Don't make that something it wasn't."

"I should have told you about the fourth floor. I know…"

"I got caught up this morning in something that makes no sense at all with someone who doesn't want what I want or behave like I think a normal human being should behave. Don't mistake that for forgiveness."

"Well," she pauses to keep her composure as tears well up in her eyes, "guess it worked out well all around." She walks out of his office and down the hall. _How many times do I have to apologize before he forgives me? I should have cut and ran when I had the chance. Now I'm stuck. You know what…he doesn't matter. I have two jobs. I'm a doctor. I don't need him. He can go screw himself for all I care. I can forget about him. Yeah, I can. I'll just go to bed and wake up tomorrow and he'll be erased from my memory…I wish it were that easy._ She sighs as the elevator doors open and she steps in, ready to go home.

Cooper leans back in his chair and sighs. He's tempted to run after her, tempted to hold her in his arms, but then he remembers that she lied to him, that she opened up that practice downstairs, that she's stealing away their patients, and that she can't be trusted. He lets out a breath through his nose and goes back to what he was doing before he was interrupted. _God that woman._

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><p><strong>I'm kind of afraid to ask, but please review :D <strong>

**A/N: episode 10&11 are probably going to be combined into one chapter because the episodes aren't heavy on CharCoop. Let me know if you just want me to skip those episodes and jump to episode 12 **


	12. Big Daddy and His Chickens

**this chapter jumps to ep. 12, just in case you couldn't figure it out from the title.**

**this chapter is a little different because of the way the episode shapes out, but I think it's a good different. **

**read/review :)**

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><p>Charlotte walks out of the bathroom just as her cell phone rings. She wrings out her hair and pulls her phone out of her purse. "Dr. King speakin'."<p>

"Charlie."

"Landry, what do you want? I have to go to work."

"It's Big Daddy." Charlotte gasps and blinks away the tears that are starting to form in her eyes. "You there, sis?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

"You gotta come home. Big Daddy's in bad shape, Charlie. The doctor says we gotta pull the plug. I'm gonna do it. Momma's messed up and Duke doesn't even wanna see 'im." He pauses. "I don't wanna drag the big shot doc away from her precious work, but you gotta come."

"I'm comin', Lan. I'll be there tonight. Try to stay sober until I get there."

"Not makin' any promises, Charlie."

"Bye, Lan."

"Bye, Charlie." Charlotte hangs up the phone and disappears into the bathroom. She saw that phone call coming, but it was still hard to digest, all the same. She blow dries her hair and gets dressed. She's trying not to feel anything right now. On top of her father dying, she has to deal with Cooper. She sighs and grabs her brief case and slips into her shoes. She turns off the lights in her bedroom and walks out of her apartment.

* * *

><p>Charlotte's standing in the elevator, staring down at the floor. She has some tears brimming in her eyes, but she's not letting them fall. She's trying to be strong, but on the way to work, it all hit her at once. Her father was dying, which has been true for two years, more so for the last two weeks. She hasn't seen her father in years and the next time she'll see him is when he's lying in a bed, hooked up to machines and wires. She clutches her briefcase even tighter.<p>

Cooper runs in just as the elevator doors start to close. "Hold it!" She doesn't even blink. He throws his arm in to stop the doors and steps in. He presses the button for the fifth floor and walks around Charlotte to the other side. He looks at her as he passes and takes off his sunglasses. "What's your problem? You look like someone died."

_Great. _"Dying." She pauses. "Big Daddy."

Cooper laughs and doesn't waste any time. "Big Daddy? Well, that is a screen name. When you get back on the horse, you really get back on the horse, huh?"

Charlotte rolls her eyes and looks at him. "Cooper…"

"What's killing him? The sex or the cold fish attitude?"

_I really don't wanna deal with him today. _"Big Daddy's my father." The doors open on the fourth floor and Charlotte steps into the lobby area.

Cooper bites the inside of his cheeks. _Oh. Oops. _He rides the elevator up another floor and walks into the kitchen.

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><p>Naomi, Addison, Pete, Sam, and Violet are all in the kitchen when Cooper comes in. "Who calls their father Big Daddy. I mean that's like <em>Cat on a Hot Tin Roof<em>. It's like…" Everyone stares at him like he's lost his mind. "Charlotte King does."

"She actually calls her father Big Daddy?" Violet starts laughing.

Cooper laughs along with her. "Yes, and he's dying," the rooms falls silent, "and I, uh, made a jerk of myself in front of Charlotte because I was laughing."

"Nice move," Sam says as he reads the newspaper.

"Should I do something?" _She looked so sad. I should do something, right?_

"Yeah, Cooper. Walk away. Big Daddy's not your problem." Violet shakes her head at him.

Dell walks in carrying little Julian and Cooper, Pete, and Addison leave the room.

* * *

><p>After Cooper's done with the CF family, he's sitting in his office looking over labs and patient files. Violet walks in and closes his office door. "I thought I was ok with it, but I'm not sure if I'm ok with it." She pauses and Cooper looks on confused. "I'm sleeping with two men. Do I get a lecture now?"<p>

"Yes." He pushes himself out of his chair. "Yes you do." He walks over to Violet and points to a chair. He crosses his arms over his chest. "This is good. This is progress."

"Really?" He nods. "That's my lecture?"

"It's fun. It's exciting. Congratulations, man." _Unemotional sex…always a good thing. Relationships cause unnecessary pain and heartache. _He holds out his hand and they shake.

"So you're ok with it because the weird thing is, I'm ok with it. Except for the part of me that thinks I shouldn't be, but I think I am."

"Sex is good. Relationships are bad. Relationships cause people to be cold and lying and deceitful. I mean, you know, you're a therapist." _God that woman._ He shudders internally as he thinks about Charlotte.

"Ok, but professionally I would dispute that and suggest that you need to see your own therapist, but personally, yes." She stands up.

"You're a red blooded American. Sex is your birthright. Go forth and enjoy it, guilt free."

"I will. I will exercise my right."

There's a knock on the door which causes Cooper to look away from Violet. Pete hands Cooper the file containing the CF results and he leaves his office with Pete.

* * *

><p>Charlotte's sitting in her office at Pacific Wellcare. She's trying to work, but all she can think about is her father and how she hasn't been there for him. She opens up her laptop and searching for the earliest flight she can get. She books the first flight she sees which is in about two hours. She looks at her schedule and remembers she can't just leave. She has to find people to take over rounds and take over her patients while she's gone. She swallows and stands up. She walks up the stairs and tracks down Addison. "Montgomery."<p>

Addison turns around to see Charlotte standing there. "I'm sorry about your dad."

"I don't need your sympathy, Montgomery. I just need you to cover my neonatal rounds at the hospital until I get back."

"Ok. Take care."

"Thank you." Charlotte walks to the staircase again and down to her office.

* * *

><p>Cooper steps off the elevator after going to the hospital with Gracie, the little girl from the CF family they're treating. He walks up to the front desk and notices Charlotte and Addison talking. He watches and then turns away when Addison starts walking towards him. "Hey, how's Gracie?"<p>

"Oh, uh, not good. She's trying to be brave, but she doesn't like the hospital and I don't think she really understands that, not seeing her dad or her brother, not living with them, that's permanent." He pauses as he reads his messages. "What were you talking to Charlotte about?"

"Uh, she asked me to do her neonatal rounds while she goes to Alabama to see her dad."

_Unbelievable. _"What, like you owe her a favor after what she did to us?" _What she did to me?_

"Cooper, her father is dying." _Right. _Cooper watches Addison walk away. _Maybe I should say something. I need to say something. _He goes over to the elevator and presses the down arrow.

* * *

><p>Charlotte's in her office, trying to organize everything before she leaves and stuffs the needed things into her briefcase. She's all over the place right now. She's mumbling to herself. Cooper knocks on the door and steps in. She looks up momentarily. <em>Great. Just what I need right now. What is he doin' here anyway? <em>He walks in farther. "I'm sorry about your dad. If there's anything you need…"

_Not from you. _"I'm fine. I see death everyday on the job. It's part of life and I'll deal with it. I'm late for my flight." She grabs her stuff and breezes passed him.

Cooper puts his hands in his pockets and nods. _She needs me…she needs someone. I can tell. She's trying to be strong, but she's falling apart. Can I really just forget what she did? I think…I think I love her despite that. Am I crazy? Maybe just a little. She's too proud to ask for help, but she needs it. She lied to me. Can I really forgive her that easily? Snap out of it, Coop. Go. Comfort her. Be her rock. She needs you._ Cooper sighs and walks out of Charlotte's office.

* * *

><p>Charlotte's sitting in first class, staring out the window. Her eyes are glazed with tears, but she's too stubborn to let them fall. Crying was for the weak. She leans back and closes her eyes. The man next to her leans against her. She's tempted to shove him off but she doesn't have the energy. She wishes she could do what he's doing. She wishes she could relax and sleep, but her mind is going a mile a minute. She's thinking about Cooper and her dad. She's the one who usually has the answers, the strong one, the one who has her shit together, but right now, she's a wreck. She orders a drink and throws it back. The flight seems to go on forever.<p>

She arrives in Alabama, exhausted. She rents a car and drives to a hotel. She doesn't have the desire to deal with her family right now. She gets a room and lies down on the bed. She kicks off her shoes and stares at the ceiling. She doesn't even bother changing her clothes. She wants to sleep, but she has too much on her mind. She wishes Cooper was here. She wants to feel his presence next to her even if he's just lying there, sleeping. She had a glimpse of the man she's in love with before she rushed to the airport. She wasn't sure if it was pity or true sympathy, but whatever it was, it was kind of nice. A distraction from what she's dealing with. A distraction from the ass he's been lately. She closes her eyes and melts into the mattress, but she doesn't fall asleep until a few hours later.

* * *

><p>Cooper rushes home after being in the hospital all afternoon dealing with Gracie. He hastily throws some clothes into a suitcase. His flight is early in the morning so he lies down in bed. <em>This is the right thing to do, right? <em>He dismisses any doubt about his spontaneous decision and relaxes into his bed. He falls asleep.

Cooper wakes up a few hours later, not well rested. He showers and gets dressed. He drives to the airport and locates a ticket counter. He prints out his boarding pass and rushes to the gate. His plane is supposed to leave in a half hour, and he can hear the announcement of boarding over the loudspeaker when he finally makes it through security and up to his gate. He puts his bag in the overhead compartment and sits down. He checks his phone and realizes he has a few missed calls from Violet. He didn't tell anyone where he was going. The cabin door closes and the flight attendant walks up and down the aisle checking seat backs and tray tables. "Sir, please turn off your cell phone." Cooper looks up and there's a woman standing by his aisle. She has a thick southern accent, which reminds him of Charlotte. He holds down the power button and sticks the phone in the seat flap in front of him. He leans back in the seat and sticks his headphones in. He doesn't turn on his Ipod yet. He's merely trying to block out noise and the thoughts that are swirling around in his head.

* * *

><p>Charlotte stands in the doorway of her father's room. She's staring at him from a distance. "He's not gonna bite ya, sis." Charlotte whips around and Landry's standing next to her.<p>

"How's momma?"

"Well, momma disappeared behind her bedroom door a week ago. We haven't seen her. She's only speakin' to the maid 'cause she's the one who gets her, her drink and the pills." He takes a sip of the bourbon in his hand.

"Let's go find Duke."

"He's in the garden." The two siblings walk out of the house.

* * *

><p>Charlotte and Landry walk towards the garden behind the house. Landry takes another sip of his drink. "I won't do it."<p>

"You said you'd do it."

"It's patricide."

Charlotte lets out an annoyed sigh. "You been readin' Shakespeare?"

"He's my father."

Charlotte turns around to face her younger brother. "He'd do it for you."

"Wait, are you sayin' that daddy'd pull the plug on me?"

"Big Daddy would do what has to be done. He's got strength, didn't pass it on to you." _Cowards._

"So you do it." Duke pipes up in between sips, from his position on the lounge chair. "You're the doctor. You're his favorite. You kill 'im."

The King siblings hear the door bell ring from the garden. Landry looks towards the sound. You expectin' anyone, Duke?"

"Nope."

"Well, sis, go answer the door." Landry takes a sip from his almost empty glass.

"Do I have to do everything 'round here?" She stalks off in a huff. Her brothers follow a few feet behind her.

* * *

><p>Charlotte walks through the foyer and towards the door. <em>Who the hell is botherin' us now? We're up to our asses in cornbread chicken casserole. We don't need any more.<em> She opens the door and swallows. _What? _Cooper swipes his hand across his forehead. "This is a nice place. Crazy humid." Charlotte sucks on her bottom lip and opens the door all the way. She motions for him to come in. He nods to who he assumes are her brothers.

"Do you, um, want a drink?" He nods, and now loaded with a drink, they walk up the stairs. Charlotte shows him into the bedroom where Big Daddy's lying in the bed. The room is big with old fashioned, antique furniture and floral curtains covering the many windows. They sit on the couch, as far away from each other as possible. It's still awkward between them. Charlotte still doesn't know why he's here. She's not sure if she should be grateful or worried about his sudden arrival. Cooper swallows some of his drink and they both look at the man in the bed as the nurse looks after him. Charlotte bites at the inside of her lip and waits for the nurse to leave before she starts talking. "Lung cancer. Doctors gave him six months…two years ago. He went into respiratory failure last week."

"How you holding up?"

"Well, let's see. Duke and Landry are downin' bourbon, momma's takin' to her room with the vapors," Cooper smirks, "and not a one of them wants any part of makin' a decision about Big Daddy."

"The vapors? You have a medical degree from John's Hopkins and you diagnosed your mother with the vapors?"

Charlotte rolls her eyes. "She's a drug addict, Coop. Here in Dixie we're more polite about it."

She stares at him and lets out a breath. He studies her for a second before inquiring. "What?"

"Why are you here, Cooper, in the middle of my southern gothic tragedy?"

"I came…for you."

Charlotte sighs out of frustration. "Landry was s'posed to pull the plug this mornin', couldn't do it. Duke can't even come in the room."

"So it's just you?"

"Just me." She pauses and looks back towards her father. "He's not even there anymore. It's just the ethical, moral, medically correct thing to do. Pull the plug and it's done." _It's done. _She thinks about that. Once she shuts off the ventilator, he's gone…forever. She wishes she didn't have to do this, but that's life. She looks at her father and quickly shakes away the memories that are floating around in her head, memories of her childhood. She looks at Cooper who's staring down at the glass in his hands. _Did he really come for me? He did fly across the country, but why is he really here? Tryin' to gain secrets that he can go blab to his OWG pals about. I didn't want to tell him, but he cornered me. It was either tell him or have him keep mockin' me. Maybe him bein' here is good. He flew across the country. Maybe he's forgiven me._ "I should do this…now." They stand up and walk over to her father.

* * *

><p>Cooper stands next to her as she starts telling him more about Big Daddy. "Big Daddy always said that cancer was just his chickens comin' home to roost. See, he didn't believe in tears. If he ever cried, he did it in private. Cancer was just his chickens." She pauses. "Pay back for bein' a son of a bitch and he was a son of a bitch, to everybody…everybody but me. He loved me bein' a doctor. He loved that I didn't just marry some boy and have a bunch of babies. He woulda killed me for marryin' a son of a bitch of my own. Seein' you and what that woulda been like for me. But if I woulda stayed, married some boy and had babies, I woulda been here when he got sick. I woulda been here to take care of him. So, these aren't his chickens, these are my chickens. 'Cause now I'm the doctor in the family and I know what has to be done."<p>

Cooper puts his arm around her, but she brushes him off. _Who knew? Charlotte King had feelings…real human emotions._ He thinks as he continues to stare at the old man in the turns towards the machine and takes a deep breath. She hovers over the lit up button that turns the machine on and off and stares at it. _I'm a doctor. I do this every day. Pull the plug and it's done, _she thinks as she breathes in and out. Cooper watches her. "Charlotte…"

"I can do this, shut up. I can do this. I can do this, dammit. I can…I can do this." _No, you can't._

"Ok." Cooper reaches out his hand and places it on hers. She turns around and they share a look. Cooper gently pulls her hand off the machine and replaces it with his. He nods. _I got this. She shouldn't have to do this._

_Thank God. _Charlotte turns around and sucks on the inside of her lip. Cooper turns off the machine and she watches as Big Daddy's head goes limp and the monitor beeps. She leans over and kisses her father's temple and straightens back up. _He's really gone. Don't cry, King. Stay strong. That's what Big Daddy woulda wanted. _"That's that."

"It's ok to cry."

"No…it's not." _Stay strong. _She straightens out her dress and leaves the room. The nurse passes them in the hall. She's preparing the body for cremation.

* * *

><p>Charlotte walks down the stairs and finds Duke and Landry refilling their dwindling glasses of alcohol. "You might wanna go say your goodbyes before he's a pile of ashes."<p>

Landry stumbles to his feet and walks up to Cooper. He pokes Cooper's chest. "Who are you?" He slurs his words.

"He's none of your business."

"Aw, come on, sis. Our father is dead. You killed 'him. The least you could do is introduce us to your little friend. "

Cooper holds out his hand. "Cooper Freedman."

Landry forcefully shakes his hand. "Are you our sissy's _boyfriend_?"

"I'm just a friend. A good friend." He smiles and Charlotte sighs.

"You a big shot doc like my sis here?"

"I'm a pediatrician."

Landry takes a sip of his now full glass of bourbon. He teeters backwards and Charlotte pushes Cooper to the side. "Enough. Now go be drunk somewhere else." She rolls her eyes and Charlotte looks at Cooper. "I apologize for my brothers. They're not used to havin' company." She shoots a look at her younger brothers and walks away.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Charlotte and Cooper are sitting on a plane on their way back from Alabama. She's sitting up straight, staring blankly at the seat in front of her. <em>Don't cry. Don't cry. Be strong. <em>She swallows. _He's gone. Big Daddy's really gone. If I woulda just been there. I could have…Maybe I could have…_She felt the tears well up in her eyes and she sucked on the inside of her lip. Cooper's a few blinks away from falling asleep, but he turns his head to look at Charlotte. She seems fine. He looks away, but turns back quickly. Charlotte closes her eyes and puts all the tension in her mouth, trying to not to break down in public.

Cooper rests his hand on hers and she loses it. That unexpected gesture reminds her of Big Daddy and she completely melts down. The flood gates open and the strong Charlotte that was there a minute ago, is completely gone. She starts standing up and Cooper tries to unbuckle her seatbelt, but just his luck, it gets stuck. He finally manages to free her from her seat and she jumps into his lap. She rests her head on his chest and wraps her arms around him. She contracts into a ball as the flight attendant looks at Cooper. He just puts his hand up. _I got this. _He rubs her back and just lets her cry. She turns her face in towards his shirt and lets the tears fall from her eyes. She claws at his neck and grabs onto his collar. He holds her close to his body. This wasn't exactly how he wanted to hold her again, but he'll take it. _She needs me._ "Shhh, it's ok," he whispers over and over again as she continues to sob uncontrollably. He figured that this was her letting go of months, even years of frustration, guilt, and sadness. He gently bounces his legs up and down as if he's consoling one of his patients. She buries her head into his shirt.

Other passengers are staring at them, but Cooper's not paying attention to them. His priority is being Charlotte's literal shoulder to cry on. He can't help but think she's more beautiful now then she has been, seeing her cry, kind of makes him smile as wield as that may sounds. _She's a person. She's a whole person. _And the fact that she feels comfortable enough to show this much emotion in front of him, makes his heart swell. She loves him and now he knows for sure. He holds her tight for the remainder of the flight and when they land, neither one of them mentions what happened.

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><p><strong>For those who have the 2nd season DVD or have seen it, the next episode is extended, so for those who haven't, you'll get a treat because CharCoop's scenes are longer :)<strong>


	13. The Groom and The Naughty Maid of Honor

**hope you like this chapter :)**

* * *

><p>A week later, Cooper and Charlotte are lying in her bed, naked and under the sheets. They're in the afterglow, lightly covered in a layer of sweat. Charlotte's lying on top of him, resting her head on his chest. They're both out of breath from the morning they just had. "Is it me or is it better?" <em>I missed him.<em>

"Ah, better." _I missed her._

"It hasn't been that long…as soon as…well, it's been a long, it's good 'cause it's been a long time, this is definitely..." _That didn't make any sense._ Charlotte tugs on his chest hair as he rubs her bare back.

_What? _"Better."

"I just feel as if there…different this time. I feel like we're different." She pauses to take another breath. She sucks on his jaw and then falls back down on his chest. "I feel…sooo good. You feelin' it?"

Cooper runs his fingers through her hair. "Feeling it…feeling it."

She lifts up his head and bites his jaw. _Hmmm._ "Let's get married."

He looks around. "Yeah, yeah, yeah." She rolls off of him and they stay pressed together. "Oh yeah. I am the groom and you are the naughty, naughty, maid of honor, and you've wanted me for years, but you can't hold back any longer, and I'm in the laundry room wearing nothing but my black, silk, boxers, and I'm putting on my groom socks, and you just come in there and grab my tube…"

_Oh brother. _"Cooper…"

They share a look. "You're serious?" She doesn't say anything. She just crashes her lips into his and sucks on his bottom lip. She pulls at it and they look into each other's eyes. She kisses down his body and disappears under the sheet. He gasps and clenches his jaw as she continues down below his waist. _She's serious? She wants to get married? That's…different. Can't say I was expecting that. Do I even trust her enough? But I love her. _He's shaken out of his thoughts by the feeling of her tongue along his inner thigh. She moves back up and rolls over onto her back. Cooper props up a little and looks at her. "You're serious?" She smiles and goes back down. That's her way of showing him that she's serious and after this time, Cooper knows she's for real, though he still can't believe that, that came out of her mouth.

* * *

><p>Cooper storms into Violet's office, unaware that she's with a patient, and lies down on her couch. "Look, I, I really need your advice. I am in a situation."<p>

"Uh, Cooper not a good time."

"Ok, not how I imagined it, not that I ever imagined being proposed to, I mean that's kinda crazy, right? I don't know if I can trust her, but I love her…I think…I do, no, I do and I am happier now than I was before. I mean, I was miserable before. I don't know if I'm really ready."

"Cooper, I am with a patient." He looks around and arches his eyebrows. Violet motions with her head towards the closet.

He lifts up his head. "Oooh. The agoraphobic?" He stands up and leans in towards the closet. "Sorry. You should come out. Weddings are great." Violet waves her hand at him and he leaves the room. _I love her, I do. Maybe we should get married. I don't know. Why did Violet have to be with a patient? She always knows what to do._

* * *

><p>Later that night, Cooper rushes into the hospital just as Addison's leaving. "Is Vi…have you seen Violet?"<p>

"I think she left for the night. Is everything ok?"

_No, everything is not ok. Charlotte proposed and I have no idea what to do. _"Yes…no," he turns around and walks towards Addison, "Well, I don't know. How do you know if someone's the right person. Setting love aside because love and rightness, two different things, right?" He pauses. "You know what? Nevermind. Thanks." He turns around and starts to walk away.

"I think they're the same." Cooper turns around and walks towards Addison again. "Love and rightness. They should be the same." They leave the conversation at that and walk in opposite directions. _I love her, but I don't know if I trust her, does that make it not right? I don't know. _He walks around the hospital, but discovers that Violet did indeed leave for the night. _I'm gonna say yes. It's right. It's love. _Cooper leaves the hospital and heads to Charlotte's. The evening was carved out for sex anyway.

* * *

><p>He opens her bedroom door and is taken off guard by the throwing of a fake floral bouquet. Charlotte's dressed in a lingerie getup that resembles a wedding outfit, including a veil and elbow length gloves. She's lying on her stomach and kicking her legs back and forth. "It's not exactly what I pictured, but let's do it." She opens her eyes wide and sits up on her knees. Cooper squeals and walks in farther. "It's gonna be…ah, it's gonna be great. The Cuyahoga county Freedmans meet the Kings from Monroeville and we could do it like halfway in between. How do you feel about," he makes some noises and uses his fingers to pinpoint a city, "Nashville?"<p>

"I thought I said Vegas."

"Well, I mean we only get to do it once. Why don't we do it, right?" _Big white wedding, family, chuppa, everything._

"A Vegas wedding is doin' it right."

"How are we gonna get all our families to Las Vegas…"

"I don't want anyone there. I want to marry you…tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? My mother is…"

_What part of I want to marry YOU, does he not understand? _"Families complicate things," _my family complicates things, _"Family's messy. Let's do this. Marry me, Cooper Freedman."

He stares at her blankly, trying to figure out what to do. He wants to say yes, right here and now, but he's not entirely sure why she suddenly wants to marry him. He dismisses his thoughts and goes with his gut. He loves her. "Ok, let's do this…tomorrow." He pauses. "I want you to wear this." He laughs and smashes his lips into hers.

She pulls away for a second. "Really?"

"Yes." He pushes her back onto the bed and they pretend to play bride and groom, all night.

* * *

><p>The next day, Cooper can hardly focus on his patients. He's still confused about what to do, but it's a little late for that. He said yes. He's getting married tonight. <em>I need to find Violet. <em>He leaves his office and walks into Violet's office. He looks around and arches his eyebrows. He sees her feet sticking out from the closet. He walks around the couch and puts his hands in his pockets. "You're in the closet?"

"Seeing if it's any less scary in here."

He walks over and slides the door open more. He throws the stuff that's on the floor of the closet to the side and sits down next to Violet. He leans against the back wall and closes his eyes. He opens them. "I like it."

"Me too."

He turns his head towards Violet. "I'm getting married." Violet starts laughing uncontrollably. "Yeah, tonight." He laughs a little himself. "Yeah, I know you think it's impulsive. I think it's impulsive too, but you know how I feel about her."

"Just ignore me. It'll fade out."

"Me getting married, is funny?"

"Yeah, I mean no, I mean yeah it is, but no, it's just that…" She can't even speak because she's laughing too hard. "I'm pregnant."

That catches his attention. "You're pregnant?"

"And I don't know who the father is." She laughs even harder.

"Ok, should I slap you like in a movie?"

"Cooper, we're…two of the most…emotionally stunted people, I have ever known. We've never made any progress in our personal life…we don't do personal growth and now here you are getting married and I'm pregnant and we're just growing all over the place."

Cooper cups her face in his hands and then rests his hand on her chest. "Breathe, breathe, breathe, let it out."

Once she's calm again, she looks at him. "You wanna talk about me first or you first?"

"Me, no, no, you…no, me."

"Ok, um, well, I think you have to ask yourself a question, Cooper. Why now? Why is Charlotte asking you now? When her father has just died, when she's full of grief. She's hurting and she doesn't want to hurt and this will make it all go away."

"Ah, I love her, Violet."

"Oh, I'm not saying she doesn't love you, Cooper. I mean, you're loveable. It's just, don't let her do this for the wrong reason." _She has a point, there. _"Now me."

He turns his head towards her and smiles. "A baby. What do you wanna do?"

"I don't know. Maybe stay in the closet a little longer."

"Ok." They hold hands and look at each other. They don't say a word. They just start cracking up again. _Charlotte's not ready for this. Violet's right. She's just masking her pain. She did cry in my lap on the way back from Alabama, after all. She's still hurting, whether she wants to admit it or not._

* * *

><p>After work, Cooper walks through Charlotte's living room and into her bedroom. He stands in the doorway as she packs a suitcase. "Thong or floss?" He just looks at her and she gets it. "You don't wanna marry me?"<p>

"Spending the rest of my life with you would be amazing…"

_Here it comes. _"But?"

"But I can't marry you because you need to escape."

_Is he serious? _"I'm not tryin' to escape."

"Why don't you want any of our family there? Why Vegas? Why right now?"

"Please, you spend too much time with Violet. Stop tryin' to shrink me."

"Tell me why."

"This…I want to marry you." _Can't he just leave it at that?_

"I wanna marry you…under a chuppa, with you in a big white dress, in front of everybody I know."

"I can't do that."

"Why not? Why not?"

She blinked back tears. "Because I can't go done the aisle without my father. Satisfied? Is that enough shrinkin' for one day? Because Big Daddy's dead and I won't go down an aisle without him." She pauses to compose herself. She sucks back tears and sniffles. "So you wanna marry me or not?"

"You're grieving. You need time."

"I don't need time."

"If we do this now, I think you're gonna regret it and I think it's gonna end badly and I don't want it to end…ever. You need to grieve." She glares at him, but he just continues. He starts to get teary eyed as he speaks. "Your wedding day should be the happiest day of your life…our life and I want you beaming when you come down that aisle. That's how our marriage should begin."

She listens and bites on the inside of her lip. _I cry in his lap like a little girl and then he turns me down. I want to marry him. This has nothing to do with Big Daddy. I love him, God dammit. I thought he loved me too. I guess I was wrong. _She leaves the bedroom and walks into the bathroom. She locks the door and leans against it. She's trying not to break down. She looks in the mirror and wipes the tears that are starting to drip down her cheeks. _How dare he? He needs to stop talkin' to Violet and make decisions for himself. He needs a new best friend. I'm supposed to be the only one he needs. If Violet didn't stick her nose in our business, we'd be on a plane to Vegas right now. But no, that nosy bitch had to throw in her two cents and change Cooper's mind. _She leaves the bathroom and walks into her bedroom, and passes Cooper without as much as a glance in his direction. "Get out."

"Char…"

"Don't even."

"Char…"

"Get out!"

Cooper sighs and walks out of her place. He sits in his car and taps on the steering wheel. _I didn't turn her down. All I said was that I wanted to wait until she had a chance to grieve. What's so bad about that? She's not ready. She knows she's not ready. I love her and I want to marry her, just not right now. Didn't she listen to anything I said? _He sighs and pulls out onto the road. _I thought that went well._

* * *

><p><strong><em>please review...<em>**

**_any suggestions? Let me know._**


	14. Cornbread Chicken Casserole

Cooper's sitting in his car after getting Violet all the food she requested. He picks up his phone and dials Charlotte's number. "Char…" He doesn't even finish her name before he hears the click from the other line. He dials again and she doesn't pick up this time. He sighs and puts his car in drive. _I don't get it. I haven't done many proposals in my life, any actually, but I'm pretty sure telling someone you want to spend the rest of your life with her, would be a good thing. _He pulls out of the parking lot and drives to Violet's. He rings the door bell and Violet opens the door. "You got it?"

"Yeah. One sticky bun from Damn Those Donuts, one bagel with onions from Canter's, a fruit bowl and a Maraschino frap from the Juice Collective." He puts the stuff on the table and goes into the kitchen.

"Where's my coffee?"

"Can't have coffee, Violet."

"Not giving up coffee." She pauses. "Maraschino?"

"They were out of pomegranate."

Cooper comes out of the kitchen with a plate. Violet's busy eating her sticky bun. "Did you get two?" She reaches into the bag and pulls out another white bag.

Cooper grabs it. "No, no, no, that's for Charlotte." He puts it to the side so Violet can't get to it.

"Oh an apple fritter makes up for you refusing her marriage proposal?"

"I didn't turn it down, I delayed on your advice and speaking of advice, pregnancy cravings are not a license to eat poorly."

"It's not a pregnancy craving. I'm just hungry."

Cooper bends over and picks out a book from the paper bag. He drops it on the table in front of Violet. "Page 156. Read all about cravings, which by the way, is what you are having."

"Page 336. People who are not pregnant should butt out, which by the way. means you."

"You know, I couldn't find the page I was really looking for which the one that says it's important for you to tell the father that you are pregnant."

"I don't even know if either one of them wants kids. I don't know if I want kids."

"Do you think it's time you found out? You have to tell someone."

"I did. I told you." She pauses. "Come on, give me that apple fritter."

"No. Just eat your sticky bun." He takes a sip of his coffee.

"Fine." She rips off a piece of her sticky bun and shoves it in her mouth. She smiles as the taste overwhelms her taste buds. She breathes out after she swallows. "Want some?"

"No, I'm good." He laughs and takes another sip of his coffee.

* * *

><p>Cooper rides the elevator down to the fourth floor and pushes his way into Charlotte's office. He walks up to her desk and she looks up from her computer and swivels in her chair. He holds the white bag up so she can see. "I brought you a peace offering. Your favorite: fritters. Warm apple. Deep fried for your southern taste buds." <em>Please work<em>. He sets the bag in front of her.

"We have breakfast here, Cooper."

"Well, maybe you can skip breakfast here and we…Look I understand you're angry, but you can't not talk to me. I'm sorry I said no about the marriage, but I did tell you I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. Can you tell me what I did wrong that was so unforgivable?"

_He thinks bringin' me fried pastries is gonna make me forgive him. Oh no. _"If you really don't get it, I can't help you." She turned around in her chair and goes back to reading emails.

"Well, we have to talk about this."

She flips her head back to Cooper. "No, we don't and we won't, so save the rest of your earnest, I can make it all better act, and leave, ok?"

He starts walking away, but turns back and grabs the bag off her desk. _She doesn't deserve these apple fritters._

Charlotte watches him leave and blinks. _He did say he wanted to spend the…no, he turned me down. Whatever he said doesn't matter. I'm humiliated. But those apple fritters did smell good. _She shakes out of her thoughts and goes back to work.

* * *

><p>At the end of the day, Cooper's in the elevator when it stops on the fourth floor. The doors slide open and Charlotte and Cooper share a look that mainly reads, Oh boy, this is gonna be awkward, and she steps in. The doors close and they stand next to each other, completely silent. Cooper looks up at the ceiling and then down at his feet while Charlotte stares blankly at the door. He fidgets from the awkwardness until he can't take the silence anymore. "You know, this is crazy, Charlotte."<p>

She rolls her eyes. _Here we go. _"What? Ridin' the elevator?"

"Stop! Ok," she flips her head towards him, surprised by his raise in volume, "with the masking and the sarcasm. It's like we take one step forward and two steps back. I want you to talk to me." She turns her head away and rolls her eyes. "Do you not see that we're a perfect match and you're screwing it up?"

_That's it._ She forcefully pushes the emergency stop button and looks at him. "I got embarrassed and humiliated, so don't tell me about screwin' things up. You think it's easy for me to look you in the face after I sobbed in your lap like a 12 year-old girl, ask you to marry me and got turned down." _There, happy? _She pushes the button again and the familiar hum of the elevator turns back on as the cart slides down the track. She lets out a deep breath as if telling him took the giant block that was pressing down, off her shoulders, or as if she's glad that it's over with, mainly the second one. Too much talking and expressing for her.

_Oh. _"You shouldn't feel humiliated."

"Well, it happened and I do and there is nothing you can do about it."The doors open and she's quick to disappear out of the building. _Why couldn't he just see that? Now I feel even worse. He thinks he can fix everything by just flashing those eyes at me. Not workin'. _

Cooper stays on for a second, watching her leave. _She really shouldn't feel embarrassed. She was grieving and I didn't turn her down. I just pushed back the date. Doesn't she see that?_ He slipped out just before the doors started to close and headed home.

* * *

><p>Cooper picks up some food and drives to Violet's. He needs some advice. He opens the door and Sheldon's there. <em>Oh. <em>Violet turns around and crosses her arms over her chest. "Oh, hey, Cooper."

"Oh, hey, Sheldon. You're here, talking to Violet."

"And you're here."

"I got some gyros and I needed some advice, but you guys are here…talking, which is great. So I should go." Violet and Sheldon talk at the same time, but say different things. "Gyros for three, it is." They walk into the living room and Violet and Cooper sit down on the couch. Sheldon sits in the chair adjacent to them.

Violet looks at Cooper. "You needed some advice?"

"Yeah. Charlotte won't talk to me. She says she was humiliated because I said no."

"Keep talking to her until she listens. Speak from the heart."

"So is there anything you want speak from the heart about, Violet?"

"Yeah. I love gyros." She laughs.

"So I just talk from the heart? It's that easy?"

"Probably not."

"You're not helping."

"Well, I'm hungry."

Sheldon swallows. "Maybe I should just go." He stands up and walks out of the door.

"You have to tell him."

"No, I don't."

"He'll find out eventually. Maybe sooner with all this crap you're eating."

"You're the one giving it to me."

"Do you think Charlotte will ever talk to me again?"

"She's stubborn. She's feisty. It'll take a lot more than an apple fritter to get her to see the light."

"I love her, Violet."

"I know you do, but for the life of me, I still don't know why you can love _that._"

"Hey! You don't get a free pass because you're pregnant."

She bites into the food. "I don't have to tell them about the pregnancy."

"Eventually, you'll have to."

"Eventually doesn't mean now, does it?"

Cooper shifts positions on the couch. "No, but…"

"Ok. Let me eat." She swallows another bite of gyro and smiles at Cooper. "She'll come around."

"I hope." Cooper sighs and leans back on the couch. _I hope. Speak from the heart. That sounds easy enough, right?_

* * *

><p>The next day, Cooper had been up half the night trying to figure how to get Charlotte to talk to him. Violet told him to speak from the heart so that's exactly what's he's going to do. He gets…well, he now knows she's embarrassed and humiliated. <em>If she won't talk to me, maybe she'll listen. <em>He pushes away from his desk and goes down to the fourth floor. He knocks on Charlotte's door and waits. She opens the door and clenches her jaw. _What is he doin' here? _She starts to close the door, but he stops it. "I want you to hear me out."

"I told you once, Cooper, no more talkin' and expressin', it's done." She turns away and shuts the door again.

He's too fast. He throws his hand in the way and holds the door open. "You know what? It could be done. It could be done and over and it wouldn't even be that much mess. You're not pregnant, we don't live together, there's no vacations planned, I don't have one thing at your house and God knows you wouldn't leave so much as a T-shirt at mine, but emotionally, I'm not ready to let go." She rolls her eyes and closes the door again. He pushes it back open. "We are so not the cute couple. In and out of each other's pockets, finishing each other's sentences, but we're still a couple. We're us and I love us and I am nowhere near ready to give up…even if you are, I'm not giving up."

"Well, won't that be lonely." She sucks on her bottom lip as she closes the door. She walks back to her desk and slumps down in her chair. _Maybe I'm bein' too harsh. He didn't make a big deal about me cryin' in his lap and he did say that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. No, it was humiliating. He doesn't get that._

Cooper stands by her office, stunned. _She still shuts the door after I just bared my soul? _He blinks, still shocked and a little peeved at the same time. _What is her problem? So I told her she needed to grieve a little before jumping into a lifelong commitment? I told l her all this stuff about us being a couple and blah, blah, blah and she still has the nerve to shut the door in my face. I love her. God that woman. _He walks in the direction of the elevator, still surprised by Charlotte's reaction.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Charlotte walks in the front door of her house and into the kitchen. She pulls out a pot from the cabinet and sets it on the counter. Just before she left her office, she started thinking more about Cooper. She finally realized that she had been overreacting. Sure she was humiliated and embarrassed and there was nothing Cooper could do to change that, but she realized that he cared about her. If he had turned down her marriage proposal, really turned her down, he wouldn't have come after her to convince her that she needed to talk to him. He would have just left her alone and went on with his business. She was too upset to even process what he said that night they were supposed to leave for Vegas.<p>

Charlotte takes out all the ingredients she needed for her mother's famous cornbread chicken casserole, the only thing she knows how to make. She couldn't just apologize. She needed something. _A way to a man's heart is through his stomach, right? _ She followed her mother's recipe that she had memorized and cooked it. She grabs a dish towel from the drawer and took a whiff of the steaming hot dish. _Brings back memories. _She laughs as she thinks about everyone running around trying to catch the pigs that Duke and Landry happened to let out of the neighbor's yard. She covers the dish and turns off the oven. She places the container on the towel and wraps the towel around the handles so she doesn't burn herself. She smiles to herself and looks around her house. She was going to do something big tonight. It wasn't marriage, but it was definitely a step in that direction. The time seemed right. They loved each other, after all. It was only natural for them to shack up. There was nothing stopping them this time. She wasn't about to open a practice behind his back and she wasn't grieving her father's death.

* * *

><p>Cooper rings the door bell of Violet's house and she opens the door. She's in her pajamas already. He walks over to the couch and sinks down into it. He puts the food he brought on the coffee table and she sits down next to him. "Is she still not talking to you?"<p>

"I opened my soul and nothing." He leans back on the couch. _I don't know what else to do._

"Pete doesn't want kids. Sheldon doesn't want kids. Pete doesn't want kids. I don't want kids. I mean what business do I have having a kid?" Cooper opens up a napkin and places in on her lap. He's listening to her as he gets the burgers and fries out of the bag. "Me, raising a kid, by myself, that I don't want, wouldn't know what to do with…"

"You're not alone."

"Every night I wake up in a cold sweat, Cooper. I lay there panicked. That I'm gonna wait too long. I'm gonna wait too long and it'll be too late to have an abortion and I will just be stuck and I'll never be free, ever again."

"Violet…"

"I don't know what to do. I mean, all I know is that unless you're bringing me sticky buns and gyros and burgers…I'm lost, Cooper. I mean I see you and I feel better, but most of the time, I walk around lost and alone and scared."

"Then I will be here. Whenever you need me, I will be here and we'll sit and we'll eat and figure this out. We'll work through everything and make it ok…together."

"You'd do that for me?"

"I'd do anything for you."

"What about Charlotte?"

"She's not talking to me. Besides, you're my best friend."

"So you're really gonna move in with me?"

"You need support…more than just me stopping by with food." He paused. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

"To pack a suitcase. I'm moving in tonight."

She starts choking on her burger. Cooper pats her back and tells her to drink. "Tonight?"

"The sooner the better right?"

"Right."

"Try not to eat my burger."

"I'm not making any promises." She laughs and shoves a fry in her mouth. Cooper smiles and walks out of Violet's house.

* * *

><p>Cooper's in his bedroom, folding his clothes. He packs them in his suitcase and zippers it closed. He sets the bag on the floor and looks up to find Charlotte standing in his bedroom. <em>Oh great. <em>She smiles and exhales. "Peace offering." She pulls the lid off. "Cornbread Chicken Casserole. Momma used to bring it to the neighbors to make peace after Landry and Duke let their pigs out. It's the only thing I know how to make." She pauses. "I screwed up, Coop and I wanna make it right, so I was thinkin', you wanted me to move in a few months ago, maybe now that's the right thing to do…a good first step." Cooper looks at her blankly. "What's the matter?" He looks at his suitcase and Charlotte follows his eye. "Goin' somewhere?"

"I'm moving in with Violet." _Now she wants to talk. This just got a little more complicated._

Charlotte stands still, trying not to break down in front of him. _First he turns down my proposal and now he's moving in with Violet. _She looks down at the casserole dish in her hands and blinks back tears. _Don't drop this, King. Whatever you do, don't drop this. _She's clenches her lips shut as she looks up at him. Her eyes are glassy from the thin layer of tears forming in her eyes. She hesitates and swallows the lump in her throat. "Why?" Her voice is a little shaky.

"I can't tell you."

"I won't talk so you…what?"

"It's just a friend, helping out a friend."

"Friend, my ass." She turns around and walks over to the front door.

Cooper follows her. "Char…"

"Tell me why you're movin' in with Violet."

"I can't tell you."

"Humiliating me twice wasn't good enough for ya, huh? You had to punch me in the gut just for good measure?"

"Charlotte, please."

"No. I get it. You don't want to be with me. You've made that very clear."

"That's not true. I can't tell you why, but it has nothing to do with us."

"It has everything to do with us, Cooper. You're movin' in with another woman. You give me this whole speech about how you love what we have…that you love us, but you have a funny way of showin' it. When you can tell me why you're movin' in with Violet, we'll talk. Until then, enjoy the casserole. I hope you choke on it." She puts the dish on the kitchen counter and turns around. "Oh, and I want the dish back." She swings open the door and leaves.

Cooper teeters backwards and falls into the screen separating the living room from his bedroom. _That could have gone better. Why couldn't I just tell her that Violet's pregnant? I'm helping her out. I'm not sleeping with her. _Cooper walks into the kitchen and breathes in the steam of the casserole Charlotte brought. _She made me a casserole. It would totally be wrong if I brought this over to Violet's, right? Yeah, totally wrong. Charlotte King made me a casserole._ He smiles at that thought. _She actually brought me her version of an apple fritter. But, now…she had to choose now to talk to me. _He walks around the counter and grabs a fork from the drawer. He takes a bite of the casserole and smiles as it slides down his throat. _Not bad. She has to talk to me again, right? I mean, she made me a casserole for crying out loud. Does she really think me and Violet are…together. _He shudders as he remembers his epic fail with Violet many months ago. _Ha. Funny. _He takes another bite and puts the lid back on. _What am I supposed to do with this? _He walks into the bedroom and grabs his suitcase. He goes back into the kitchen and holds the casserole under his arm. He walks out of the loft and drives back to Violet's.

* * *

><p>Violet's leaning against the couch cushions when Cooper knocks on the door. She stands up and opens the door for him. "Good, you're back." She looks at the dish under his arm. "What's that?"<p>

"Cornbread Chicken Casserole."

"Huh?"

"Charlotte made it for me."

"Oh."

"She told me she wanted to move in with me."

"Really?"

"When I told her I was moving in with you…you should have seen her face, Vi. She looked like I just shot her dog in front of her."

"You didn't tell her I was pregnant, did you?"

He plops down on the couch and puts his feet on the coffee table. "No." He pauses. "She made me a casserole, Violet…a casserole. She actually cooked something for me."

"You're still moving in with me, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good." She pauses and looks at the dish. "Is it any good? The casserole?"

"It's good."

Violet lifts up the lid and picks up the fork. She digs in and swallows. "It is good."

"This is wrong, right? The woman I'm living with is eating something my girlfriend made for me?"

"It's a little bit wrong, but I'm hungry." She shovels more of the food down.

"I'll never get her face out of my head. That 'how could you' face. I really thought I was gonna have to clean up casserole and broken pieces of ceramic off the floor. That's how surprised she was."

"She'll come around. In the mean time, please eat some of this so I don't feel like a fat ass."

Cooper laughs and walks into the kitchen. He grabs a fork from the drawer and sits back down on the couch. "She's gonna give me hell tomorrow."

"That's tomorrow. Tonight, we eat this wonderful, oh so delicious casserole, that Charlotte was kind enough to make for me…you." She smiles and takes a sip of her drink.

Cooper sighs and sticks a fork full of the food into his mouth. "Tonight, we eat." He rubs Violet's back and smiles. They finish half the casserole and put the rest in the fridge. They spend the rest of the night, flipping through the channels.

Cooper's about to speak, but Violet puts her hand in the air. "Shhh, the models are walking."

He smiles. "Right, the models are walking."

"Shhhh."

Cooper laughs and leans back into the cushions. _She'll come around. _He thinks as he watches the six feet, Amazon women stomp across the screen.

* * *

><p><strong>please review :)<strong>


	15. The Happy Couple

Cooper pushes the button for the elevator, with Violet standing next to him. She exhales and coughs a little. Cooper looks at her. "You know, you need to see someone."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're a doctor. You know better. You need to see Addison or Naomi about the pregnancy today." He pauses as she coughs. "And you sound like crap." _No offense._

"I didn't know you're moving in to be the pregnancy police." The door dings and they step on.

"I am your friend, and I'm helping you out. And I have the added benefit of being a highly trained physician. So as long as you're preg…" He stops mid sentence when the doors slide open again. Sheldon steps on the elevator. "Sheldon." _This is awkward._

He clears his throat. "Cooper, Violet." He pauses. "Together again."

"Look, we're not…" Violet clarifies.

"Oh of course not. It was humor." Sheldon and Cooper laugh uncomfortably as if they rather be anywhere but in this elevator. "It just seems, um…Oh, the office, the elevator, your house. Together. It's, uh, it's nice."

"Yes. It is nice. We're friends." _I have a girlfriend or I did._

"Of course."

* * *

><p>Sheldon and Violet start having their own conversation when the door dings open on the fourth floor. Charlotte looks up from the stack of folders she's carrying. "Oh look, the happy couple." <em>I'll take the stairs. <em>She turns around and walks in the opposite direction.

Cooper looks back at Violet and gives her a look before following Charlotte. "Hey, this has gotta stop. We have to talk."

"When you can explain moving in with Violet, we will."

"If you knew why, you'd see that it's actually right."

_I don't care what his reason is. "If_ I knew why, which I don't. So right now, you are nothing but a guy who moved in with another woman." _How could he? _She scoffs off towards the stairs.

Cooper watches her leave. He rubs the side of his head, in utter confusion. He understands that she's mad and upset about the whole situation, but he doesn't quite understand why. _I'm not sleeping with Violet. I'm just helping out. She's alone. Can't Charlotte understand that? I wish I could just tell Charlotte why, but I can't…not yet anyway. This is none of her business. She should understand that this has nothing to do with us. I'm stuck between two women. She'll come around, right? I mean, she can't be mad forever. _Cooper swallows and walks back to the elevator.

* * *

><p>Pete, Cooper and Sam are in the kitchen talking. Cooper takes a sip of his coffee. "If someone you were sleeping with moved in with another person of the opposite gender, would you be mad?"<p>

"Depends." Sam pauses. "Are these two roommates romantically involved?"

"No. They're just friends."

"Hmmm, I'd probably still be mad. Mad's not the word I'd use. More like jealous." Sam stands up and walks over to the refrigerator. "Is this just a hypothetical thing?"

Cooper thinks for second. He doesn't want anyone knowing he moved in with Violet because they'd ask questions that he didn't want to or wasn't completely prepared to answer. "Just hypothetical."

"How are you and Charlotte?" Sam speaks from inside the fridge door.

"Not good. She's not talking to me."

"Wait, I thought you two were back together?"

"We were." _Until I moved in with Violet and after Charlotte stood in my apartment with a cornbread chicken casserole telling me she wanted to move in with me._

"What happened?" Pete says as he cuts up his banana.

"Well, I…She's…It's complicated." _Too complicated to even begin to explain._

_ "_You know what I like about Sonya?"

"She's not complicated?" Pete jokes.

"She says exactly what she thinks."

"Oh, be careful what you wish for." Cooper warns. _Charlotte says what she thinks and most of the time it isn't something good. If she knew why I moved in with Violet, she wouldn't be so worked up. Wait, Sam said he'd be jealous. Is she really jealous of Violet? She's, uh, Violet. _A little girl on crutches breaks him out of his thoughts. She hands him a note before heading down the hall towards the bathroom. Cooper opens the note and almost falls backwards. _What? _He walks over to the island and stands still, trying to process the note. He looks at Pete and Sam, with a stunned look on his face.

Pete's confused. "What? What's wrong?"

"Her parents. Uh…They dumped her." He hands Sam the note. "They're not coming back."

"So they just dropped her off and…?" Sam skimmed the note.

"I've met her parents. They're nice people."

"I'm sure they said that about Jeffrey Dahmer too."

"I don't know what to do." He stands up and walks out of the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Charlotte's sitting in her office at Pacific Wellcare. She's trying to put all her energy into her work, but all she can think about is Cooper and Violet. <em>We have a fight or whatever and he runs into Violet's arms. Unbelievable. I'm sure he shared the casserole with her too. Ugh. <em>There's a knock on her door and she straightens out. She blinks back the tears that are threatening to fall. She isn't an emotional person normally, but something about Cooper just makes her all out of whack. "Come in." She swallows and looks up at the door. "Sheldon, what do you want?"

"I couldn't help but overhear you and Cooper talking."

"So you were eavesdroppin'?"

"No." He pauses. "I thought we could talk about it."

"No thanks. I'm good. Cooper's a grown man. He can do what he wants."

"I'm a shrink…"

"Exactly why I don't wanna talk to you. I'm still your boss, remember?"

"Are you ok?"

"Just fine. Thanks for askin'. Now please leave. I have a job to do and unless you want to lose yours, I suggest you stop worryin' about me and do some work." He nods and reluctantly leaves Charlotte's office. _Sheesh. Is there any privacy in this office? _She sighs heavily and returns her focus to her work.

* * *

><p>Cooper's sitting in his office with the phone to his ear. He dials Patty's home phone number, the number that's listed in her chart. "Come on, answer the phone." He gets the voicemail message and decides to redial the number. Again, he got no answer. Frustrated, Cooper throws his pen down on the desk and leans back in his chair. He angles his head towards the lobby, even though he can't see it from his location. He sighs. <em>She's only a little girl. I would throw myself in front of a bus to help that girl and her parents just don't care. Time to be superman Coop. Swoop down and save the day. <em>He tries to smile, but his lips only form a straight line. He stands up and walks out of his office, in search of Violet.

Cooper walks into the kitchen. He rubs his forehead out of frustration. "Patty's parents aren't answering their phone and there's no contact information for their work or their cells."

"How'd she hurt her knee?" Violet closes the refrigerator door.

"Car accident. She was 5, hit-and-run. Internal injuries, which, you know, she got over. Walking has been hard. We had to wait for the bone to grow more before we could reconstruct the knee."

"And her parents just walked out the day of the surgery?" He nods.

Pete walks in from the lobby. "Patty's out there reading to her teddy bear."

"I haven't told her yet." He pauses. "I told her, her parents were still at the bank, and that things were taking longer than they should."

"Cooper, she knows something' wrong. You know that. Kids know when something's wrong. You have to report this."

"Her parents are good people."

"They abandoned a sick child. Child and Family Services need to be involved."

"Yeah, and the police. Safe Haven program is for babies. This is abandonment."

"Her parents are having financial problems. Maybe they're just freaked out by the surgery. Just give me a few hours, I'll find them." He pauses to clarify his determination to find Patty's parents. "The surgery's elective. If we turn her over to Family Services, they won't pay for it and she needs the surgery. She needs her parents."

"Not all parents should be parents." He quirks an eyebrow, knowing that Violet's right. "So if you want to, go look for them, but let me talk to her first, let's make sure this family is worth being put back together."

"Ok."

"You can't save everyone, Cooper."

"I know."

"Do you?"

"Just talk to Patty so I can find her parents."

"Alright." Violet sighs and walks out of the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Cooper paces outside of Violet's office, peering into the glass windows, as she talks to Patty. He hears the door open and he rushes over to her. Violet tells him that everything suggests that the family life is healthy. He nods and takes off for the elevator. The doors open on the fourth floor and Charlotte steps on. She looks at Cooper and then back straight ahead. She starts to say something, but Cooper cuts her off. "Not now." They ride down to the lobby in silence and he walks to his car. He drives for a while and pulls up to Patty's house. The place looks deserted. There's a foreclosure sign in the front yard. He opens his car door and pads up to the front door. He knocks on the door, but gets no response. He jiggles the doorknob to see if the door's open. He pushes it open and calls out. "Laurie? George?" He walks into the house and looks around. There are a few boxes scattered around the room, but the place is otherwise empty. <em>Unbelievable. <em>He shakes his head and walks out of the house.

* * *

><p>Cooper knows he needs to tell Patty what's going on because he knows Violet's right. She knows something's wrong, but Cooper can't bring himself to crush her like that. His job is to make kids feel better, not make them feel worse. He's confused. When he gives Patty some pain medicine, he has an opportunity to tell her what's going on, but he can't, not yet, anyway. <em>Ignorance is bliss, right?<em> He says something about her parents going through a tough time and that they need to figure things out and she hugs her teddy bear tight and looks up at him. "You're lying." In part he is. Her parents aren't coming back, no matter how hard he tries to change that. He swallows and just stares at her. He's lost. He doesn't know what to do or say. He's going to pay Patty's aunt a visit, figuring her parents are there. He's making a last-ditch-effort to bring her parents to their senses. He doubts it'll work, but all he can do is try.

* * *

><p>Cooper pulls up to Patty's aunt's house and knocks on the door. Laurie opens the door and gasps. "How'd you find us?"<p>

"Patty told me about your sister. It wasn't that hard to find the address."

She sighs. "You shouldn't have come here." She walks into the house and Cooper follows her, whether he was invited inside or not.

He lets out a gush of air and looks around at all the boxes that inhabit the room. He stares at Laurie and George and waits for them to say something. When he gets silence, he speaks up. "That's it? You see me standing here. You got nothing to say?"

"I'm…I'm sorry."

_Sorry? You're sorry? _ "You're her parents. Maybe you lost your house, and maybe things are bad, and…and there are probably things, I don't know, things that make your life excruciatingly hard, but Patty loves you and this surgery, she needs it. She needs you."

"We can't." Patty's father speaks, finally.

"You're good people."

"We're not." Laurie says quietly.

"I've known you since your daughter was six hours old, through the accident, through rehab."

"And all of that ruined us. The bills, they never end. Day after day. We don't have the money. Our insurance is gone." George explains.

"I can talk to the hospital."

"It's too much, Cooper. She's too much for us. We can't do it anymore."

"I know what you must think of us, but we're done."

Cooper's anger and frustrations boil over and he explodes. "That's it, you're done? That little girl is smart and strong and she survived a car accident and all the surgeries and all the pain and for a kid like that, I would walk over broken glass to help her…you are done. You don't deserve her." He storms out of the house and slams the door behind him. _Unbelievable. They're done? Just like that? Violet's right. Not all parents should be parents. A kid was a responsibility they were obviously not ready for. _He puts his car in park and pulls away down the road.

* * *

><p>Cooper finally tells Patty that her parents aren't coming back. It's one of the hardest things he's had to do. Her parents weren't coming back. He had to realize that. This was one family he couldn't save. He walks to the elevator and down to the fourth floor. The only thing he could think of was the convince Charlotte to allow the surgery to happen even without Patty's parents. He knew it was a long shot, especially since, he and Charlotte were fighting, but he needed to ask. It wasn't about him and Charlotte, it was about Patty. He walks up to Charlotte. "Um, I need a favor, Charlotte."<p>

_Here we go. He's unbelievable. Askin' for a favor when he can't even tell me why he moved in with Violet. _"I need three more nurses, six more hours in a day, mandatory martinis at lunch, and oh yes, to know why the man I was sleeping with is living with another woman." Cooper follows Charlotte into her office.

"I have a little girl who's scheduled to have surgery at St. Ambrose today. I need it to happen."

"The problem is?"

"Her parents signed all the pre-op forms and all's good to go, they then abandoned her."

"That is what DCFS is for. You call, they take the kid."

"And then she never gets the surgery. She was in an accident at 5. She limps. She has back problems, she crushed her knee, and it needs to be reconstructed. It's considered elective surgery, DCFS won't pay for it."

"The parents are required to sign their children in. Period. Risk Management requires it."

"And if we just assume that they did…"

_He can't be serious. _"You waltz in here and expect me to violate hospital ethics, to essentially commit fraud, for you, who won't even break Violet's confidence, for me."

"You're mad at me. I probably deserve it, but there is a girl who's been sitting alone in my office for eight hours, waiting for a surgery to change her life. A surgery that she doesn't get unless we skip a step in the process and just let things progress the way they're supposed to." He pauses and waits for Charlotte to respond. She doesn't. "Please." He still gets nothing out of Charlotte. "Okay, don't help me. Help her."

Charlotte sighs and sucks on her bottom lip. She stares at Cooper and blinks. "Fine. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you."

"This isn't for you. I want to be clear about that."

"I know." He smiles and walks out of her office.

Charlotte sinks into her chair and closes her eyes for a split second. She takes a deep breath and turns on her computer. _Can't he just tell me why he's livin' with Violet? I mean what's the big deal? He's livin' with another woman. Can't he see how wrong that is? I hate him. I covered for him when he aided and abetted a kidnapper and now this. I hope he appreciates this because…_She trails off and pushes herself back. She stands up and leaves her office.

* * *

><p>Cooper's waiting at the hospital when they wheel Patty into her room. He follows her and places her stuffed bear, Felix, into her arms. She's asleep. She moves her head and exhales. She squints at Cooper and he smiles. "Hey."<p>

"Am I better?"

"The surgery went well…really, really well."

"My knee won't hurt?"

"I predict that you will be dancing and anything else you want. Okay?"

Violet watches on. "Hi." Patty focuses on Violet. "Patty, I wanted to introduce someone to you. She's gonna make sure that you're taken care of." She walks over to the door and opens it. A woman, wearing a yellow shirt, walks in. "This is…This is Michelle and she's a friend of ours. She's really nice and she's from a place called Child and family Services."

"Patty," the young girl turns her head towards Cooper, "they take care of kids when their moms and dads can't."

"But what about you and Violet? Can't you…?"

"I'm sorry, Patty. I wish we could."

"Hi, Patty." Michelle spoke up, thinking this was the right time. "I heard a lot about you. I hear you're doing really well."

"I just wanna go home."

"I know." Cooper kneels on the floor. "Patty, Michelle's gonna keep you safe. She's gonna help you get through this. You and Felix are gonna watch out for one another. I'll still be your doctor."

"Thank you."

Cooper stands up and leans over the little girl. He kisses her on the top of her head. "You're welcome." He pauses. "Michelle's really nice. You'll like her." He smiles and walks out of the room, leaving Violet and the other woman there.

* * *

><p>Cooper turns the corner and up to Charlotte. She looks up after discussing a patient with a nurse. She stares at him as he speaks. "Thanks." He pauses. "Uh, Patty's…"<p>

"I heard."

"I called Social Services soon as she went under and the police…"

"And Violet." She rolls her eyes and walks away.

Cooper chases after her and pulls her to the side. "It's been a terrible day, Charlotte. I looked that girl's parents in the eye and they do not care. And the surgery's good, the surgery's gonna help, but at the end of that, that girl doesn't have parents anymore and the only thing I can think of that might make me feel any better is being with you. I know being with you will make me feel better." She stays silent. _Screw this. Here goes nothing. _"Violet's pregnant. That's the secret. That's why I'm moving in with her because she's freaking out."

"Are you…? Is it your…?" She can't even say it. _I better not be. _

"No. I'm not the father. I'm the best friend. Violet has always been there for me. She shouldn't have to do it alone."

"What about me?"

"I love you."

_No. I mean…_ "What about me when I have our baby? Your first child was supposed to be with me. Those moments were supposed to be ours. Enjoy your first child, Cooper. They say there's nothing like it." She walks away, leaving him stunned.

He leans against the wall, two seconds away from bursting into tears. _Did she just say…? Wait, what? I'm confused. She's talking about kids?_ Cooper breathes and blinks. He rubs his eyes and tilts his head to watch her walk down the hall. _This isn't my kid. I'm not trying to be the father. I just told her I loved her and she just walks away. I just had a horrible day and all I want to do is hold her, feel her body against mine, kiss down her neck, and she just walks away? I just told her why I moved in with Violet even though it was supposed to be a secret and all she says is 'enjoy your first child'? I mean come on! I love her and she's making this difficult. _He pauses to wipe the three tears that are dripping down his cheeks. _What a wonderful way to end this great day._ He exhales and sniffles. He walks out of the hospital. All he wants to do now is drink his body weight in alcohol and sleep.

* * *

><p>Charlotte's sitting in her office, signing charts. She's trying not cry. God forbid a man breaks her down, especially Cooper. She refuses to give into her emotions. She sighs and looks up from the chart she's reading. A single tear falls from her tired eyes and stains the folder that's open on her desk. The ink smudges as another droplet drips from her chin. She takes a deep breath in and blinks. <em>Your first child was supposed to be with me? Did I actually say that out loud? He has Violet. He doesn't need me. Why do I even bother? Violet will always win. I don't stand a chance. He says he loves me, but I don't know what to believe. He moved in with Violet. He's takin' care of her. What about me? Really. What about me? I'm his girl—friend.<em> She swallows. That word's a little scary to say out loud, for her at least. _There's only so much I can take. I can't keep doin' this if he's just gonna end up with Violet. What's the point? _ She shakes her head clear of the thoughts that are taking over her mind. Her cell phone rings and she looks at the contact flashing on her screen. It's Cooper. She lets it ring and stuffs her phone in her purse. She looks at her reflection in the computer screen and gasps. She rubs her eyes and swallows the lump in her throat. She blows her nose and tosses the used tissue in the trash. She stands up and smoothes down her deep blue shirt. She tucks some loose hair behind her ears and sighs. She hangs her lab coat on the hook behind her desk and flings her purse over her shoulder. She yawns and puts the folders in her bottom drawer of her desk and locks it. She tests the drawer to make sure it's locked and walks towards the door. She switches off the light and closes the door behind her. She locks it and takes a deep breath in and then exhales slowly. She tries to block out all thoughts of Cooper and walks out of the hospital.

* * *

><p><strong>I leave for school on Sunday, so I'm not sure when I'll have time to update.<strong>

**as always, please review. :)**


	16. Your Thing With Violet

**so it's been a while.**

* * *

><p>Cooper's in the kitchen with Violet, Dell, and Pete, with each of their cell phones splayed out on the counter top. One of the phones ring and Cooper picks it up. "Addison?"<p>

"Archer's out of surgery. Derek got all the cysts."

"Good. That's good."

"You can also tell everyone that Sam's doing fine."

"Sam?"

"He had an asthma attack."

Cooper laughs. "Oh, wow."

"Talk to you later. Let everyone know."

"We're all here." He holds the phone out and everyone shouts hello.

"Tell them I say hello." She laughs a little.

"Ok. Bye." Cooper hangs up the phone and holds it in his hands. "Addison says hello and Archer's out of surgery. He's stable."

Pete looks at Dell. "See, they called." He pauses. "Did Addison sound relieved?"

"She sounded a bit drunk." He laughs.

"She's probably overtired." Violet suggests.

"Or she's drunk." Pete smiles.

"I have to go tell Charlotte." _Though she probably won't listen to me. _Cooper smiles and leaves the kitchen, leaving the three other people to converse.

* * *

><p>Cooper pushes the down button on the elevator and finds Charlotte in the back room where they keep all the files. "Archer's out of surgery and it went well." He pauses and then begins a different thought when she doesn't respond. "On the other hand, Sam almost passed out from asthma which I heard is actually kind of fun." <em>She's still not talking to me? <em>"Anyway, I just thought you'd want to know because Archer works for you."

Charlotte looks up from the files she's organizing, but doesn't turn around to look at Cooper. _I didn't. _"Thanks for the update, Dr. Freedman." She leaves that row and walks forward and around the corner.

Cooper follows her. _Dr. Freedman? _"I know you're upset about me living with Violet, I know you feel excluded, but it doesn't have to be like that." He turns the corner and stops talking, confused. Charlotte's not there. "You can be part of it." He goes searching through the shelves.

"Part of it, Cooper? Really? How exactly do you think that would look like?" Cooper tries to follow her voice, but can't seem to find where she is. "Me livin' with the two of you, readin' Mother Goose to Violet's swollen belly, while you're givin' her pregnancy massages? Or how 'bout me puttin' on my Bo Peep outfit, tryin' to seduce you," _That one, _Cooper nods in excitement, "while she's callin' out from the next room for a puke bucket?" His face falls. "Or better yet, me takin' a video of you and Violet bringin' your little snot home." _This isn't gonna work and he knows that._

_Are you done? _"It's not my little snot and I'm not trying to be the father. I'm just trying to be a friend."

"From above and beyond."

"If you got to know Violet a little better…"

"I rather have teeth pulled."

"She's my best friend. If she were a guy, wouldn't you make an effort to get to know my best friend?"

_If she were a guy, none of this would have been an issue. _"If she were a guy, she'd be on 20/20 for gettin' pregnant."

Cooper laughs. "Just think about it. Start with thinking about lunch." He gets a page and looks down at it for a second. "I gotta go, but just…" He walks past her and whispers, "Just think about it," in her ear before leaving.

She whips her head around and watches him leave. She purses her lips and sighs. _I hate him. I don't like Violet. I wish she were a guy then Cooper wouldn't be so obsessed with her. I should not have to complete with her. He's my boyfriend, or at least I was until Violet decided to be irresponsible. We wouldn't be here right now, and I wouldn't have to get to know Violet. Why do I have to anyway? She's not my friend, she's Cooper's. Ugh. I hate him. He has to look at me with those eyes and that damn goofy grin. I wish I could just slap it off of him. _She pauses in thought and sucks on her bottom lip. _It's just lunch, right? What's the worst that could happen? _She sighs and leaves the room.

* * *

><p>Cooper's standing in a hospital room with the baby of Violet's patient. Charlotte walks in and Cooper smiles. She cups his face in her hands and pushes her lips into his. He backs away. "Little eyes," he whispers and points towards the baby. She laughs and kisses him gently on the lips. "Does this mean, you'll do lunch?"<p>

"I still don't like you movin' in with Violet, but yes I'll do lunch." _I hate him._

He wraps his arms around her and kisses her jaw. "Thank you."

"You need a different best friend."

"Hey!"

"What? You do." She laughs. "I gotta go." She walks to the door and she's about to open the door when Violet busts through. Charlotte tries to recompose herself.

"Oh, hey Charlotte."

Charlotte swallows. _Great. _"Hello, Violet." She breezes past her and leaves the room. Cooper watches the exchange from afar.

Violet chuckles as the door shuts. "What was that?"

"That was, we're having lunch. The three of us. And you're gonna be on your best behavior." _It would be so much easier if they actually liked each other. Part of me thinks, Violet isn't the only one I have to remind to be on her best behavior. _Violet stares at him and tries not to laugh. She walks over to the incubator and smiles. Cooper looks at her. "How's Rachel?" _Still crazy cakes?_

"She's stable. I sedated her with benzos, got her started on an atypical antipsychotic." Violet continues while Cooper dangles his stethoscope in front of Cynthia's face. _"_She'll have to stop breastfeeding, which is not ideal, but…" She pauses and whispers. "What if mine doesn't sleep?"

"She'll sleep."

"What if she doesn't?"

"Then I will stay up with her while you sleep." _Charlotte might not like that, but…_

"What if I go crazy?" She pauses and walks around the incubator. "What if I get postpartum psychosis and depression? What if I try to hurt the baby? What if I just have a terrible child? Seriously, what if I'm the one that gives birth to the sociopath who tries to burn the high school down? Or what if I just screw up in so many ways that no amount of therapy can ever repair the damage that I do to that poor child?"

_Oh brother. _"Violet?"

"Yes."

"Stop."

"Ok."

"Postpartum psychosis, very rare. This isn't normal."

"What if mine doesn't sleep?"

"She will, Violet. If she doesn't, I'm here to help." He smiles at her and then rubs Cynthia's stomach.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Cooper, Pete, and Violet were in the room. Violet's bouncing the baby up and down in her arms. Cooper swallows. "Can't we just let her see the baby?"<p>

"She's in and out of a psychotic state." Violet takes a breath. "Until the medication is totally in her, until she's treated, she could hurt her. She could snap her neck."

"She's not gonna be alone with her. She'll be monitored the whole time."

"All it takes is a minute."

Pete interjects. "She stopped herself, Violet. She had a horrible impulse, did a horrible thing, but she stopped herself and came to us for help."

"I know, it's just…She could've killed her. Do we wanna be the ones, who put her back in her mother's arms, and then something terrible happens and they think, 'what were they thinking?'"

"But you can't just cut her out. You can't take her baby away from her. She needs that to get better. You can't cut a parent out."

She glares at Pete. "Oh, just stop it. Just stop it, Pete. This is not about you. This is not about us."

Cooper watches. "Violet." He pauses and stands up. "Violet, here, look at me. Look, hey. You just said it. It's not about you or Pete. We know that you know more about what's going on in her head, so as far as I'm concerned, I'll back you with Andrew. If you advise him to keep the baby away, I will back you. But Rachel's not a criminal. She's a good mom, a mom who wanted this child. And…And…And if there's a chance that her staying bonded with this child is gonna help her hold on, help her get better…Don't you think we ought to give her that chance?"

"The hormones are insane." Cooper nods. "They're like…God, they're insane. I mean, already, it's like I'm not me. I mean, mostly I am, but sometimes I…I'm just not. And my hormones are in the normal range. Hers were not. So we can't be emotional. We have to be responsible…"

Pete chimes in. "So you cut her out. You decide, you cut her out." Pete storms out of the room.

Cooper watches Pete leave and then turns back to Violet, who's staring at a spot on the floor. "I'm gonna hug you now."

"That would be good."

Cooper wraps his arms around Violet and the baby, trying to console her. Charlotte rounds the corner and stops when she sees Cooper and Violet. _Great. This was what I was afraid of. He wants me involved in this, but what am I s'posed to do, give her a foot massage while he's wiping sweat off her brow? He cares more about Violet than he does about me. He really needs a new best friend. She's too needy. I said I'd do lunch, but I'm just a third wheel. He doesn't see it, but I do. I can't do this. Cooper and Violet are too close…does he have to hug her like that? He doesn't have to be there 24/7. She's a grown woman. She had unprotected sex and now, she's gonna have a kid and he's gonna be there all the time. This right here, is what their life is gonna be like. I'm on the outside. There's no way any sane person would do this. Violet knows Cooper. He knows her. There's no room for me in that. I can't have lunch with them. That'll just be…_She stares at them for aother second and then walks away.

* * *

><p>At the end of the day, Cooper's sitting in his office, looking over patient notes and charts when the door opens. He looks up and Charlotte's standing in front of him. He smiles, but it quickly fades when she starts talking. She clasps her hands in front of her and looks at him. She knows he's not going to like what she's about to say, but she has to say it. Her eyes are a little glassy from the tears that cover them. "I get what you're doing for Violet."<p>

He throws his hands down and sighs. _Here we go. _"Please tell me you're not changing your mind."

"I get that she's your best friend, but there comes a point when you can't have a woman be your best friend because there's a more important woman in your life. There should be." She sighs. "But you and Violet, it's intimate and she needs you. And I think, at the end of the day, you need her. I'm outside of it. It's your thing. Your thing with Violet. And you want me to be a part of it, but I don't have it in me to make it work that way. I'm supposed to be your best friend, Cooper." She drops her hands and turns around. She said what she needed to say. She pushes the door open and walks down the hall.

Cooper stares at her and then drops his head. _I can have two best friends. I'm just helping Violet out. There's nothing intimate about that. I wish that my two women could have liked each other from the start. I get that she's upset. I'm living with another woman, but she has nothing to worry about. I love her. Violet's just a friend. She's scared and she needs me. Maybe I need her too, but I need Charlotte too. There's no rule that says you can't have two best friends. _

Charlotte rounds the corner and walks to the elevator. She pushes the button and waits for the doors to ding. She disappears into the cart and crosses her arms across her chest. _There. I said it. It's done. Does he really expect me to be involved? If I had a male best friend who moved in with me 'cause I was pregnant, I'm sure Cooper would have a problem with it, so why does he expect me to be ok with this? Who would be ok with that? No one, that's' who. No one in their right mind would be ok with her boyfriend moving in with another woman to take care of this woman's child. As strong as she claims to be, no one would be ok with that! _The doors slide open and Charlotte walks into the ground floor. She slips into her car and drives home. She doesn't want to be in this day any longer.

* * *

><p><strong>hope I can get the next chapter to you guys soon...<strong>

**please review :)**


	17. Storming the Freaking Castle

**so I found some time and I love this episode so I decided to write another chapter. let me know what you think. :)**

* * *

><p>Charlotte's sitting in Cooper's office, waiting for him. She's clutching her house key in her hands and looking around his office. She came up with this idea to get Cooper back about two weeks ago, but was too stubborn to make the first move until now. She thought two weeks was enough for him to calm down and come to his senses. <em>He'll move in with me, I know he will. He can be there for Violet without breathing down her neck 247. Why does he have to live with her in the first place? What could she possibly need that he can't give her during the day? She'll be asleep during the night. Does he really have to be down the hall? _She sits straight, waiting for Cooper to walk in. She's getting anxious now.

Cooper turns the corner and blinks as he enters. _Huh? _"Good morning, Dr. King." He's a little confused to see her here so early. He's not sure if she's here for business reasons or personal ones so he sticks with Dr. King.

She holds up her key and smiles. "Move in with me, Cooper."

He stares at her and struggles to find the words. _Is she serious? _"Charlotte."

"I know you care about Violet and the baby and I understand why you wanted to move in with her, but you can still be there for both of them, without living at her place." _In other words, get your ass out of her house and come live with me. She's a grown woman. _

"Violet's afraid to be alone, so I need to be there for her."

"I'm your girlfriend."

"And I am here for you and living with Violet, doesn't change that." He walks over to her and wraps his arms around her.

Cooper pushes his face into her neck to kiss her, but she pushes him back. "My patience only goes so far." She drops her arms and walks out of his office.

Cooper stares at her as she leaves, confused. _What does she want from me? How many times do I have to tell her that I will be there for her? She's my girlfriend. Of course I'm gonna be there for her. She needs to stop being so…whatever she's being and get used to the fact that Violet is my best friend. She's hated Violet since the second we started dating and I'm getting tired of it. I don't understand it. I'm not sleeping with her. I'm just helping her out. She's alone and I'm just trying to be a friend. Can't Charlotte see that? _He sighs and sits down at his desk.

* * *

><p>Charlotte's sitting at her desk, staring at her computer screen. She has dried tears on her cheeks and her eyes are still glassy. She's scanning her emails, but not reading them fully. She can't get her mind off of Cooper and Violet. <em>Violet had to get herself knocked up, didn't she? I would be livin' with Cooper right now if her nosy, needy self didn't have to get in the way. I wish Cooper cared more about me than her. I'm his girlfriend. I can give him what Violet can give him, plus dirty, fun, amazin' sex. She can give him a bucket full of puke and swollen ankles. What man would choose a pregnant woman over sex? Violet's a grown woman. If she can't take care of herself, maybe she could go live in assisted living or somethin' or at least shouldn't have gotten herself knocked up if she couldn't handle it. Cooper needs to see that he can't just move in with Violet and think everything is gonna be the same. He needs to make up him mind. Does he want me or does he want her? I'm not interested in sharin' him with her. I don't have it in me to do that. <em>She lets out a breath and scrolls through her emails. Charlotte perks up when she hears Addison and Archer arguing next door. She stands up and opens the door. She smiles. "Now, there's a sight for sore eyes." She's thankful for the distraction. "I got patients lined up waitin' for you to get back."

"Well, that's me. Money in the bank."

"I like money in the bank." Addison rolls her eyes at her brother and breezes past Charlotte. Charlotte looks at her, confused. "What? I like your brother. He's my golden boy." _Not to mention, he's not bad to look at. _She looks at Archer and smiles wider. "So you ready to get back to work?"

"All clear."

"Good. That's what I like to hear." She laughs and walks back into her office. She soon gets a page and heads to the hospital.

* * *

><p>Charlotte's talking to someone behind the counter, telling him to file a chart, when Cooper walks up to her. She picks up the clipboard she's writing on and looks at Cooper. <em>What does he want? <em>He smiles. "Hi."

She stares at him, hoping he'll just go away. "Hello," she says as she walks away from him.

_What is her problem? She needs to get over me living with Violet. _He walks around the counter and follows her. "You know what? We haven't been speaking for two weeks and I miss you. Don't treat me like the pervert next door."

She rolls her eyes. _Can't he see I'm workin'? _"If you lived next door, we wouldn't be havin' a problem."

"I wanna get past this. We need to get past this. What is it gonna take for you to forgive me?"

_Move out of Violet's house. _"I don't know, Cooper. I'm working on it." _Now, I have work to do, so bye._ She walks away leaving him stunned.

Cooper stares down at a spot on the floor as Charlotte walks away. _I wish she'd think of it soon. I don't understand why she's so upset. I'm living with Violet, what's the big deal? I wish she'd just open up and tell me why she's upset. That's her problem. Violet tells me everything. Why can't Charlotte just tell me? She has some sort of personal competition with Violet and I just don't get it._ He watches Charlotte round the corner and walks away when she disappears completely from his view.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Charlotte's sitting in her office, staring at the wall. She can't stop thinking about Cooper's hands all over Violet, giving her massages and spending all his time with her. Charlotte stands up and grabs a file from behind her. She opens the door to Archer's office and smiles. "I just wanted to go over a patient with you before you head out."<p>

"You're here late."

"Well, I have a job." She walks over to Archer and hands him a chart. "Some abnormality on the left temporal lobe."

"Say that again."

"Excuse me?"

"The way the word lobe rolls off your tongue, it's hot." He winks and holds onto the other half of the chart, inching up close to her.

"Uh…"

"We're both here late. No one's around. We're both attractive people."

"Are you…?"

He pushed his lips against hers and she drops the file on the floor. She feels herself relax and all thoughts of Cooper and Violet fly out of her head. She reciprocates the kiss and she feels his hands slide under her shirt. His warm hands send a shiver up her spine as he unclasps her bra. She pulls at his bottom lip and she unbuttons his shirt. She runs her hand down his chest and stops at his waistband. She pulls his belt from its loops and tosses it to the side. She undoes his pants and pushes them off his hips. She stares at him for a second before removing his boxers. She kisses his chest as he maneuvers to take off her clothes. Soon they're both naked. She's on top of him on the floor and she's kissing his neck.

Minutes later, Charlotte breathes out as she feels him against her. She lets out a moan as a tingle shoots through her entire body and when she can't take the sensation anymore. Archer relaxes into the floor and turns his head towards Charlotte. "Not bad." He smirks and stands up. She quickly gets up and gathers her clothes. She slips on her underwear as he does the same. Once their pants are on and Archer's in the middle of tucking his shirt into his pants, Charlotte sits on the edge of the couch and slips one arm into her shirt. _What did I just do? _She sighs and tries to find her other sleeve.

Addison comes around the corner just as Archer and Charlotte are trying to get dressed. Addison's reading an email on her phone when she opens the door. "Arch, come on, we're gonna be late." She looks up and her eyes dart back and forth from Archer to Charlotte. Her mouth hangs open as she stares at the disheveled appearances of her brother and her enemy.

Archer looks up at his sister. "You really need to learn how to knock." He exaggerates his point with his arms. Addison rolls her eyes and walks out of Archer's office. He sighs and continues getting dressed. "I'm sorry."

"No. It's just what I get." She's trying to hold it together as she finishes buttoning her blouse.

Archer puts his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you ok?"

Charlotte quickly pulls away and stands up. "Don't touch me."

"Because my sister walked in?"

"No. We just…" She lets out a breath. "We never should have…" She feels tears trying to break through so she quickly walks away. "I never should have done…" She trails off and heads into her office.

* * *

><p>Charlotte sinks down into her office chair and puts her head in her hands. She sighs and tears drip down her cheeks. <em>Why did I do that? Why of all things I could do, I choose to sleep with Archer Montgomery? We never should have done that. Now I have to tell Cooper, but I can't. He keeps tellin' me I have to forgive him and now I sleep with someone to get back at him? He's never gonna forgive me. Maybe this is easier. Technically, we're not together…well we are, but I'm not talkin' to him so does that mean we're free to see other people? He's seein' Violet, well livin' with her. This is just my version of movin' in with someone. He'll buy that…who am I kiddin'? I cheat on Cooper with Archer, of all people. He's gonna hunt me down and keep askin' me to talk to him, but this will crush him and he'll just run to Violet. Ugh. I just should have never done…<em>She trails off and sighs. She wipes the tears from her eyes and checks herself in the reflection of her computer screen. She grabs her stuff and heads home.

* * *

><p>The next day, Cooper walks into the kitchen just as the other doctors are discussing a case involving a newborn with undistinguishable genitalia. Cooper cuts in saying something about making the right decision. Cooper takes a spoon from the drawer and takes the chocolate ice cream from Violet. He starts smashing the spoon into the frozen dessert. Sam looks at him, confused. "Are you hungry?"<p>

Cooper stops beating up the ice cream and stares down at the spoon, clasped in his hand. "Frustrated." He pauses and looks at Violet. "Charlotte acts like I'm cheating on her. I mean, here I am trying to be the good guy, all I get is guilt."

Violet looks at him. "I'm really not the person you should talk to about this, Cooper." She laughs. "Talk to her." Violet walks behind him and leaves the kitchen. _That's great advice, Vi, if only Charlotte would actually talk and listen to me. It's impossible. _He sighs and looks at Sam, who's staring at him. He shrugs his shoulders and leaves the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Cooper walks into St. Ambrose, determined. He tracks down Charlotte and pads his way over to her. "Charlotte, we need to talk." Charlotte stares at him and feels herself shaking from the inside out. <em>Oh God. <em>She walks away from him and Cooper's getting more frustrated. "Charlotte. Stop." He turns around and chases after her. "Hey." He grabs onto her arm to turn her around, to make her listen to him. "Hey, stop treating me like I've done something horrible. Like taking care of my friend is cheating on you."

She cocks her head, trying not to lose it. _I don't want to talk to him right now. He has no idea what's going on. If he doesn't, I can't help him. _"You don't know…"

"No, you don't know." He leans against the counter and stares into her eyes. "All I've ever wanted to do is make you happy. I can't do that if you're shutting me out." Charlotte opens her mouth to say something, she wants to tell him, she knows she needs to, but she can't. She quickly closes her mouth, and her eyes glaze over with tears as she looks at him. She stays silent so he speaks again. "Please." She studies his face and then sighs. She runs in the opposite direction, down a hallway. Cooper sighs as he watches her leave. _I'm done. _He walks out of the hospital. _That went well. _He heads back to the practice.

* * *

><p>Charlotte stops in the middle of the hallway and leans against the wall. She glares and clears her throat at a few nurses to give her some privacy and they oblige. Charlotte takes a deep breath and blinks to keep herself from crying. How would that look for the Chief of Staff if she just broke down in the middle of the hallway? She feels a tear escaped down her cheek and quickly wipes it away. <em>I have to tell him. He's not cheatin' on me and this is what I do to get even? This is worse than him movin' in with a woman. Why does he have to look at me like that? With those eyes. This would be so much easier if I felt nothin' for him. If he was just some sex toy, I could just tell him and run away. This is what I was afraid. Feelings…real feelings. Maybe if I pretend he's nothing more to me than a sex toy because right now that's what he's treatin' me like. Our relationship hasn't progressed to anything but sex, so it's not that big of a stretch. I'll tell him tonight, get it off my chest. Everyone will be happier. I'll get a free pass because he'll walk away from me and I wouldn't have to deal with him and Violet and he'll be able to devote his precious time to rubbing her belly and holding her hair back as she pukes. <em>She lets out a gush of air and continues down the hallway. Work will help keep her mind off her impending confession.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Charlotte casually walks into Cooper's office like it's no big deal, like what she's about to tell him has no significance whosoever. She walks up to his desk. He looks up from coffee he's drinking. "Well, nice surprise."<p>

_Oh it will be. _"I slept with Archer Montgomery." _You what? _He thinks as he stares at her. "I just thought you should know." _There. It's over, done. _She turns around and is about to leave when Cooper stands up.

"No. No. You don't get to just walk away from me after telling me that." He walks up to her. "How dare you? How dare you do this?"

She turns around and takes a deep breath. "That's just the way I am."

"Oh, that's crap. You did the one thing you could do to push me away, to make me make the choice and not you. Guess what, Charlotte? That's not gonna work. I'm not going anywhere. You want to sleep with some guy to hurt me? To make me back off? Too bad. I'm here. I'm storming the freaking castle for you, and you so underestimated me. What? You thought I was so weak that I'm gonna walk away because my pride got wounded?" His eyes well up with tears as he stares at her. He takes a breath and lowers his voice. "You are mine, and I am not walking away because you're scared."

_I hate this. Why did he have to say that? Why couldn't he just except it and walk away like a normal person? He has to make me feel bad for sleepin' with someone, which I do, but why couldn't he just let me leave without sayin' anything? _She's scrunching up her face to keep herself from breaking down, but she can't help it. She walks towards him, but he backs away. He's looking at the floor and letting a few tears drip down his cheeks. Charlotte sighs and sniffles. "God, I'm so sorry." Cooper sucks back tears and lifts his head up. He swipes his hand under his nose as she continues to apologize. "I'm so sorry."

Cooper puts his hands on her shoulders and tries to look at her face. He lifts up her chin because she refuses to look at him. "This one, I can overlook." Charlotte struggles to find a place for her hands as she closes her eyes tight. She wants to just wrap her arms around him, but she's not sure he wants that. "This one, but you have to think long and hard about testing me because next time, I'm gone." She lifts up her head so she's looking into his blue eyes. "You'd better dig deep, Charlotte. Dig deep in your soul and grow the hell up and be in this relationship. Right now." She holds onto his wrists as he cups her neck. She nods tentatively. "Ok?" He lets go and she melts into him, throwing her arms around his neck and letting out her breath. He holds her tight as she lets out a few sighs of relief. _Did she really think she could just sleep with Archer and walk away? _

Charlotte presses up against him, taking in the heat permeating off of him. She holds onto him tight. _Why does he have to be so…ugh. He has to forgive me after all that? I wanted to walk away and now he has me tangled up with him and Violet again, but I missed him. I need him. I lo-ove him? _She blinks as he tightens his grip around her. They separate and she looks up into his eyes, which are red from crying. "I'm sorry."

"Char, you're my girlfriend. I'm committed to you. You don't have to worry about me running off with Violet. I love you. I'm just being a good friend. I'm trying to be the good guy here. Stop treating me like I'm the bad guy, ok? Please, try to get to know Violet."

"Coop…"

"Make polite conversation when you see her, maybe? That's all I'm asking." He smiles at her and presses his lips to hers. "If you ever try to do this again…"

"I'm not. I shouldn't have done it in the first place."

"Did you really think you could sleep with Archer Montgomery and just walk away?"

"I was hoping." She laughs a little, her tears starting to dry up.

"Archer Montgomery?"

"He was there." She confesses and kisses him on the neck.

"Let's go back to your place…"

"What about Violet?"

"She can wait. She knows I have a girlfriend." He smirks and kisses Charlotte on the lips gently. "I'll show you all the ways that I'm a better man than Archer Montgomery." He trembles at the thought of Archer all over his woman. "What were you thinking?"

"Can we not go there?"

"Fair enough." He kisses her quickly on the jaw and smiles. "Let's go." They walk out of his office after Cooper puts all the files that were on his desk into a neat pile. Charlotte smiles as they round the corner and head into the lobby. They slip into the elevator, their arms wrapped around each other's backs.

* * *

><p><strong>please review. do you like it? do you not? let me know.<strong>


	18. This Is Me, Lit

Cooper's kneeling in front of front of Violet, talking to her stomach. He's rubbing it. "Hello, hello."

Violet sighs. "I'm not into this."

"The bug needs stimulation. I'm the pediatrician. It's my area." He pauses. "Hello, little one." He puts his ear against her stomach.

Sheldon and Pete walk in. "Hello." Sheldon says, making fun of Cooper.

Cooper separates from Violet, feeling a little embarrassed. "Hey, guys." He's laughing now, one of those 'awkward, I rather be anywhere but here', laughs "I'm stimulating the bug."

Pete looks at Violet. "We've made a decision."

Violet looks between the two men. "Together?"

Sheldon turns his focus to Violet. "Paternity test. Now.

"One of us gets out of your hair. The other one has a right to know."

Cooper swallows. "Look, guys…"

Pete looks at him. "You know what, Cooper? You moved in, you pushed us out, you've claimed your territory, but one thing is clear, this kid you're talking to, is not your kid, so stay out of it."

"Look, Pete…" Violet says, but gets cut off by Sheldon.

"The answer is right there for us to know."

Pete takes his phone out of his pocket and looks at the message. "We know that you don't want to face it, but we do. I've gotta go." He turns around and leaves.

"Well, I have no defining exit line. So…" Sheldon turns around and leaves Violet's office.

* * *

><p>Cooper looks at Violet and rubs her arm. "So, paternity test." He stands up and watches Violet pace back and forth. "What are you thinking?"<p>

"I,I,I…just, I…"

"I'm having an anxiety attack…"

"It's like…"

"I know, I know…"

"Am I right? I'm right, right? It is…" She pauses. "It's my decision."

"You're right. It's your body."

"Exactly!" She throws her arms in the air. "A paternity test? They want a paternity test?" She was shouting a little louder.

"Pete's just mad because you slept with Sheldon." He pauses. "And Sheldon just wants to outdo Pete." Cooper laughs a little. "So what are you gonna do?" He says as he sits down on the chair and opens up the computer.

"I will have a paternity test when I wanna have one."

"Can't do one for a few weeks anyway."

"Who do they think they are telling me what to do? It's my body. It's my uterus."

"You can't do one for a few weeks anyway." He repeats, knowing she's not paying attention to anything he's saying.

"I mean, yes, yes, I was a little bit irresponsible, having unprotected sex with two men, but does that give them the right to dictate…"

He whips his head around. "Violet, you can't do a CVS paternity test for a few weeks. The point is mute."

"Moot. The point is moot."

"Is it moot? No, I'm pretty sure it's mute." _It's definitely mute. Moot? What is that?_

"No, it's moot. The point is moot." Violet starts laughing. The door opens slowly and Pete walks in. Violet and Cooper look at him. "I can't have a paternity test for weeks." She makes it clear.

"I didn't come here to…I need you to see a patient."

Cooper gathers up all his stuff and walks over to the Pete. "Is the point moot or is the point mute?" Pete just stares at him, so Cooper turns back to Violet. "Annie's out of surgery." He leaves Pete and Violet to talk and goes over to the hospital.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Cooper's packing up his stuff in his office when he gets a call from Charlotte. "Hey, I was just getting ready to come see you…" She sighs. "What?"<p>

"We can't…"

"Why not?" He questions, slightly disappointed.

"Something came up at the hospital. I have to work late." She lies.

"Oh. Well maybe we can do dinner or something at the hospital."

"Sorry, Coop. I'm busy." She swallows.

"I'll meet you at your place at nine…"

"Cooper, I'm busy." She raises her voice a little.

"Are you ok? I mean, we're good, right?"

"We're fine. I'm just busy." She hangs up the phone.

Cooper sighs. "Bye?" He slips his phone into his pocket and walks down the hall to Violet's office.

* * *

><p>Cooper knocks and then pushes the door open. "You hungry?"<p>

Violet looks up. "I thought you were hanging out with Charlotte tonight."

"I was, but she cancelled." _I miss her. _

"I thought you two were good."

"We are…at least I think we are. This is the fifth time she's cancelled. I don't get it. Even when I see her at the hospital, we barely talk." He sighs and slumps down on the couch. "Do you think she's cheating on me again?"

"Why don't you ask her?"

"No because then it seems like I don't trust her."

"Well, do you?"

"Of course I do."

"It doesn't seem like you do." Violet closes the folder she's reading and sets it on the coffee table.

"Do you think Charlotte's avoiding me? I don't know why she would. I forgave her. We're back together."

"Maybe she's not over you moving in with me." Violet suggests.

"I'm not moving out, so…" He pauses. "So are you hungry?"

"Starving. I'm eating for two, remember?"

"Right. Pizza and a movie?"

"Yes, as long as you stop talking about Charlotte. You'll ruin the movie." She laughs.

"Ok. She's probably working, like she said she was. I don't think she'd cheat on me again especially the way she was crying. She seemed sorry."

Violet opens her eyes wide. "Charlotte King was crying?"

"Yes." He pauses. "I thought we weren't gonna talk about Charlotte?"

"We're not." Violet stands up and grabs her stuff. "Let's go." They walk out of her office and head to the pizza place they always go to.

* * *

><p>A month later, Cooper finds Charlotte at the hospital on his way to see a patient. He runs up to her. "Hey."<p>

She sucks in some air and turns her head towards him. _Great. _"Hello." She says. Cooper is the last person she wants to see right now.

"Your face is all scowly."

Charlotte raises her eyebrows. "Scowly?" _What's that s'posed to mean?_

"Well, you didn't light up as soon as you saw me."

"This is me, lit." She snaps.

Cooper holds her arm. "Okay, Charlotte, what's, uh…? What's wrong? I mean, you've been kind of…I mean, we've been in a better place. Right? We started fresh." _It's been a month of awkwardness. _

_ Here we go. _"Yes, I slept with archer and you forgave me. Better place, fresh start." She grits her teeth and starts to walk away, but he pulls her back.

"But?"

She stares at him for a second. She's tempted to tell him what's on her mind, but she can't, not yet. _I don't deserve his forgiveness. I wish he would just… _"But nothing. Everything's fine. We're in a good place, Coop, really." She smiles barely and walks away. _I don't have time for this, right now. _

Cooper stares at her as she walks away. _What is her problem? She hardly talks to me. She says everything is fine, but it's not fine. I forgave her. We've moved passed this…or at least I have. I don't get it. _He takes a deep breath and leaves.

* * *

><p>Charlotte's sitting in her office when there's a knock on her door. "Cooper, I don't have time for…" The door opens and Dr. Barnes is standing there. "Oh, Dr. Barns."<p>

"Someone said that if I needed to fight for a patient, you were the person to see." He smiles and walks farther into the room.

"What is it?"

"I have a 12 year-old girl who needs surgery to save her life, but Dr. Freedman's convinced her parents to let her die."

"And you need my help why?"

"Because you can help me convince them that letting a 12 year-old make a life and death decision isn't a good idea. She doesn't understand what's she's doing." He pauses. "I want to get a court order. Will you sign the injunction?"

Charlotte swallows. "It's the law, so yes, I will." _Why do I have to get involved in this? This is just one more thing Cooper can hate me for…no wait, this isn't about Cooper, this is about this girl. Lettin' a minor make a decision about her medical care is against the law. _

"Thank you, Dr. King." Dr. Barnes turns around and walks out of the room.

* * *

><p>Cooper's in his patient's room, getting ready to remove the catheter from her arm. She smiles. "I can't believe it's coming out. I'm gonna get to go in the water for the first time in forever."<p>

Charlotte walks up to the door. "Dr. Freedman, can I see you for a sec?"

Annie looks behind Cooper and then at Cooper. "What's going on?"

"Just give us a sec." He smiles and leaves the room.

* * *

><p>Charlotte leans in close and whispers. "Catheter's not comin' out today."<p>

"What?"

"Dr. Barnes approached me. He feels he can save Annie's life, and that you're letting a minor make a decision about refusing treatment."

_She can't be serious. _"The family and I concur on this. What are you doing?"

_I knew that was coming. _"He has a valid claim. He's going for a court order."

"Why are you talking to me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like I'm some stranger."

"I could have let him sandbag you. I didn't. I'm giving you a heads up."

"Ok, still like a stranger, Charlotte, and you know me. You know I wouldn't be doing this for her if I didn't think it was right. Come on."

"I'm just doing my job."

"That doesn't make it right." Cooper walks around her and back into Annie's room.

Charlotte looks at him and watches him walk into the room. _What does he want from me? That's my job. It's not about it being right or wrong. I'm doin' my job. When another doctor approaches me with this kind of information, I have to act. This is why I didn't wanna get dragged into this. He thinks I did this on purpose._

* * *

><p>Cooper's talking to Annie in her hospital room. He's telling her all about the waves, but she doesn't care. She's tired of being in the hospital, and Cooper can't do anything about it. Charlotte walks passed the room, but stops. She stares into the room for a few minutes, watching Cooper interacting with his patient, and trying to listen to their conversation. <em>Maybe the surgery isn't the best idea. Cooper did have a point. He wouldn't be sending her home if it weren't what's best for the patient. She's miserable, even I can tell. <em>She sighs. _I have to go find Dr. Barnes, convince him that Annie shouldn't have the surgery. _She straightens out her lab coat and then goes to Dr. Barnes' office.

* * *

><p>Charlotte knocks on Dr. Barnes' office and then pulls the door open. He looks up from his desk. "Charlotte?"<p>

"I don't think the surgery is a good idea." She says as she approaches his desk.

"You signed off on the injunction and now you're telling me you just want me to let her die?"

"I was doing my job, I was following the law…"

"But?"

"Maybe Cooper's right. Keeping her alive isn't the same as saving her life."

"Look, I am sorry Annie can't go to school or go surfing, but is the chance to do that for a month or two, is that worth giving up the chance at living past 13?"

_In this case, yes. _"She's got nothing left in her, Noah, not even the will to fight you, so maybe you should ask yourself, who are you doing this for?"

He looks away and down at the desk. He thinks for a minute and then back up at Charlotte. "I'll think about it."

"Ok. You think you're helping her, but are you really? She's miserable." She points out before leaving his office. _Great. Cooper's gonna think I did some miraculous thing and I'm gonna have to deal with him. _She sucks in some air and lets it out slowly. She walks to her office. _Maybe he won't find out I convinced Noah. I hope…_

* * *

><p>A few days later, Cooper's on his way to see Charlotte when he bumps into Dr. Barnes. "Oh, Dr. Freedman, how's Annie?"<p>

Cooper smiles. "She's good, celebrating her birthday on the beach. She's happy. She's living. It's what she wanted."

"I'm glad." He starts to walk away, but Cooper stops him.

"Hey, what made you change your mind? You were so sure about this surgery. What made you 'reevaluate your position'?"

"Dr. King stopped by my office. She asked me who I was doing this for. I thought I was doing the surgery for Annie, but I wasn't. I thought I was helping her, but I realized I was pushing too hard." He smiles.

Cooper arches his eyebrows. "Dr. King?" He's confused. Just a few days ago, she was on Dr. Barnes' side, telling Cooper that letting a minor make a decision about refusing medical treatment was against the law.

"Yes." Dr. Barnes smiles a little. "Well, I have to go."

"Yeah, me too." Cooper waves and watches Noah leave. _Charlotte surprises me sometimes. She was doing her job before, I get that, but at least she realizes that it wasn't right. She's human, after all. But why wouldn't she tell me? Why would she keep that a secret? _He smiles a little wider and walks up to Charlotte's office. This is too good not to talk to Charlotte about.

* * *

><p>Cooper opens Charlotte's office door and she's sitting at her desk, doing paperwork. He smiles at her, but stays silent. He shuts the door and crosses his arms over his chest. Charlotte stares at him. "Cat got your tongue?"<p>

He struggles to find the right words to use as he walks over to the pair of chairs in front of her desk. "I do not understand you."

She opens her eyes wide. "What, Cooper?"

"Annie Bishop. I just bumped into Noah. You went behind my back. Why didn't you tell me you helped him change his mind?" Charlotte stares down her desk, sucking on the inside of her lip. She doesn't need him praising her. "Charlotte, you did a good thing. A thing that makes me love you even more. Why…?"

"I don't need you to love me even more." She shoots up to her feet. "I slept with Archer and you forgive me. You're good. You're the good one. You do good things, you and…" She pauses to take a few breaths. "It makes me sick, you lovin' me. It makes me literally sick to my stomach. I slept with somebody else. I screwed Archer's brains out and you forgive it? Who does that? So see, you're the good one and I'm the bad one, and I don't want credit for saving a little girl's life. I don't want it."

Cooper stands up and walks behind her desk. _I see what's going on here. _"You need to forgive yourself."

"Damn it, stop loving me." She backs away.

Cooper steps forward and pulls her into a hug. "You need to forgive yourself."

She resists and tries to push him away. "Stop loving me!"

He pulls her even closer to him and talks in her ear so she really hears him. "No, no, I will not stop loving you. No." He holds her close to him and rubs her back.

She wraps her hands around his arms and lets the tears fall from her eyes. She sucks in some air and pushes herself away from him. She tilts her head up and pushes her lips into his cheek. She touches his lips with her finger and sighs. "Look, I'm sorry, I…" She whispers, through her tears.

Cooper lifts up her chin and presses his lips into hers. "You need to forgive yourself. I know you didn't do it because you didn't love me. You did it to spite me. But you can't get rid of me that easily, Char. I love you and I won't stop." He pauses. "We have to make this work with Violet because I need to be there for her, but I need you too." He smiles and kisses her again.

She blinks and separates completely from him. She looks into his eyes and smiles, faintly. "I'm sorry."

"I know and I believe you." He brushes his thumb across her cheeks. "Are we good?"

She sighs. "I don't deserve your forgiveness. I slept with another guy. You should be pissed."

"I'm upset that you couldn't talk to me about what you were feeling, but I'm not mad. You did it because you were hurting, not because you don't love me. There's a difference." He pauses. "So are we good?" She nods. "I'll let you get back to work." He pauses. "Thank you…for talking to Noah." He smiles and kisses her softly on the lips. "Try to forgive yourself. It was a mistake." He pulls her into another hug and she rests her head on his shoulder. He pushes his face into her hair. "I love you." He whispers and then separates. "Tomorrow night?" She nods and he walks out of her office.

* * *

><p>Charlotte sinks down in her desk chair and puts her head in her hands. She blinks slowly, keeping her eyes shut for a few seconds. <em>Why? He just…I can't even describe it. He's just…I push him away as hard as I can and he comes back without a scratch on him. <em>She smiles. _He loves me. Sometimes I wish he didn't. This would be so much easier if he didn't love me. He's seen me in tears more than anyone and here he is professin' his love for me…still. What did I do to deserve this? I lie to him, cheat on him, shut him out. Yet here he is. If I were him, I would have run a long time ago. Maybe he should. He doesn't know what he's gettin' into._ She pauses to exhale. _The scary thing is…I love him too._

* * *

><p><strong><em>I added a few things to this episode. Not sure if they work or not, but here it is.<em>**

**_I'm _****_not entirely happy with this chapter, but let me know what you think._**

**_let me know what you like best about it, what you like least about it...it helps shape future chapters. _**

**_:)_**


	19. Pete, Sheldon, Uncle Coop, and Ernesta

Cooper's playing basketball with Pete and Sam. It's his onetime to just be a guy, but when he looks around, Bryce (his opponent) is flirting with Naomi, who is in the stands watching, and Pete is more focused on finding a date for tonight, then playing basketball. Cooper just wants to play. He's tired of thinking about women. Pete smiles at the woman in the stands he's been eying. "She's coming home with me tonight."

Cooper tries to catch his breath and sighs. "Oh, come on, man." He pauses. "This bastion of men being men is being expropriated…it's being taken over by women." _Let's just play basketball. _

Sam swallows. "But you like women, Coop."

Cooper scratches his face. "I'm living with one with no sexual benefits, I'm sleeping with one who is way too complicated, and the one place where it could just be men, there are women." His speech is interrupted by Bryce and they get back to playing basketball. _Thank God. _He thinks before getting his mind back in the game.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Cooper's in Violet's guest room with Charlotte. She's finally come around to the idea of sharing him with Violet. Cooper presses his lips against hers and slides his tongue down her body. She laughs as he kisses her stomach. He's massaging her legs when there's a knock on the door. "Hey, hey, Cooper, I need your help."<p>

Cooper lifts the covers off his and Charlotte's heads and angles his head towards the door. "Huh?" He says, a little distracted. He sighs. "It's not a good time, Violet.

Violet's face falls. "I'm sorry. I just…I…I can't…I can't tie my shoes. My shoes are no longer visible to me and I would wear shoes that don't tie, but my feet are swollen or bigger or something, and shoes that tie are the only ones that fit and I've got to go because I got the, uh, ultrasound this morning with Pete. It's so weird. I mean, I know he wants to be part of it, but we really could be sitting there looking at Sheldon's baby."

Charlotte's half listening to Violet's little speech and rests her hand on Cooper's inner thigh. She grabs hold of him and he bites his lower lip. He turns to Charlotte and says_ "_Stop," quietly, but she doesn't listen. He covers her face with his hand to keep her from making a noise because Violet doesn't know she's there, as she continues to massage him. She starts to pull the covers over her head, but he quickly pulls them back down. He closes his eyes as her hand slides back and forth. He pulls away and props himself up on his elbow. Charlotte laughs when Violet finishes talking. _What is she blabberin' 'bout? _Cooper swallows. "Vi, can I…? Can I go back to sleep?" Charlotte slips back down under the covers and runs her hand down his chest and rests it on his inner thigh again. She kisses down his chest and he pulls away.

"I can't tie my own shoes, Cooper."

He sighs and pulls the covers off. He sits up in bed. "Ok, I'll be right there."

"Hey, while you're up maybe we can get some breakfast." Cooper whispers that he'll be right back while Violet continues. "My iron's low and they serve sausage biscuits till nine and I know you love sausage."

Charlotte rests her chin on his arm when he sits on the edge on the bed, pulling on his pants. "I love sausage." She whispers, playfully.

Cooper quickly stands up because if he sits there listening to Charlotte tell him she loves sausage any longer, he'll be tempted to blow Violet off and just jump back into bed. He pulls his pants on and smiles at Charlotte. "I'm sorry." He whispers.

She sighs and flops back down on the bed. "You owe me big, Coop."

"I'll make this up to you…tonight."

"Go help the pregnant lady." She sighs again. _God, I hate this. _

"I'm really sorry. I didn't…"

"Just go before my hands go places that you won't be able to resist." She laughs.

He smiles apologetically and slips out of the room.

* * *

><p>Cooper finds Violet on the couch and ties her shoes. She makes notice of his disheveled appearance. "Sorry, I woke you up."<p>

"I'm up now." _You didn't just wake me up. You interrupted my morning routine. _"So sausage biscuits?"

"I'm starving." She rubs her stomach.

"Come on." He glances at the door and sees Charlotte sneak out of the house.

Violet whips her head towards the sound of the door clicking. She turned towards Cooper. "Oh." Cooper laughs. "Gross, Cooper. Having sex in my house?"

"I'm your roommate. I can do whatever I want." He pauses. "Come on. You said your iron's low. Let's go."

"Why didn't you just tell me you had a visitor?"

"Because…I'm gonna go back to sleep if you don't get up right now."

"I'm up. I'm up." She says firmly and pushes herself up. She slaps him and he rubs his arm. "You better wash those sheets." She rolls her eyes and walks towards the door. Cooper follows her. _Could Charlotte have waited two minutes? _He sighs and closes the front door.

* * *

><p>Cooper walks into the kitchen and breezes past Naomi and laughs. "She's in a good mood."<p>

Sam looks at Cooper. "That's because I'm pimping for her. I'm pimping for my ex-wife."

Cooper grabs a drink from the refrigerator. "Pimping?"

"I'm setting her up with Bryce."

Cooper arches his eyebrows and jabs his elbow out, imitating Bryce when they played basketball. "Bryce?"

"That's what I said."

"What the…?"

"Why did I say that I would set her up with Bryce?"

"I don't know." _At least she didn't interrupt you while you were trying to explore your girlfriend, asking to tie her shoes for her. _A nurse walks in and hands Sam a folder. He opens it and stares at it. "What is it?" Sam's silent. "That bad?" He hands Cooper the folder and Cooper glances at it. _Damn. _They walk out of the kitchen and into the exam room.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Charlotte knocks on Violet's door. Violet opens the door and Charlotte sighs. She looks around. <em>Great. <em>"Hello." She says awkwardly.

"He's not back yet." Violet walks away from the door.

Charlotte stands outside for a second before stepping into the house. "Do you expect him back soon?" _This is gonna be awkward._

"He's getting me soup."

"Soup's good." Charlotte says, not exactly sure what else to say. She closes the door.

"I despise soup, but it helps when you're queasy, which I am." She pauses. "Sit down if you want to."

Violet groans and Charlotte walks swiftly into the kitchen. "You're queasy?"

"The word queasy makes me feel queasy." Charlotte pushes the door open to the kitchen and opens up the refrigerator. "What are you doing?" Violet pauses. "Charlotte, what are you doing? That's my kitchen."

_No, really? _"Refrigerator was my first clue."

"Are you hungry?"

Charlotte walks out with a few food items tucked under her arm. She sets the jars on the table. "Natural antacids, mineral-rich food, fizzy drinks." She walks around Violet. "They all help with nausea." She sits down. "I know you hate me, but it actually works."

"Hate is a strong word." Violet says as she begins to peel her banana.

There's a small silence before Charlotte decides to break it."So the baby's father, is he gonna get in on this circus any time soon?"

"Eventually. I mean, you know, one of them. I mean, Pete or Sheldon…one of them is the father."

"And they want to be involved?"

"They did. But now Sheldon's not talking to me, and Pete, he pushed, he wanted to come to an ultrasound, and now he's just…indifferent." _Sheldon. _Charlotte tries not to laugh, but she can't help it. "Is that funny?"

_A little. _"No, I just…" She laughs louder now. "I had this visual of Sheldon wearing a Baby Bjorn."

"Oh, yeah." Violet laughs. "Right, Pete would, uh…he…Pete would use an Indian sari, make a sling."

_Am I actually enjoying this? _Charlotte chuckles. "You think Uncle Coop would do any better?"

"You know what Cooper's mother told me?" _This should be interesting. _Charlotte thinks as she listens to the story. "That when he was a kid, he had this doll, and he, uh…he carried it around all the time and he named her Ernesta."

"Ernesta?" _Oh Lord. _

Violet and Charlotte start laughing when Cooper opens the door. He studies the women as they share laughs. "What? Something funny?"

"No." They both say at the same time and start laughing hysterically. Cooper looks back and forth. _I'm missing something and they're laughing…together…they're getting along? I really missed something. I'm confused. I feel so out of the loop._

* * *

><p>Charlotte stands up from the table, still laughing. Every time she looks at Cooper, she's picturing him walking around with this doll under his arm. She follows him to the bedroom and sits on the edge of the bed. He looks at her. "Tell me what's so funny."<p>

She covers her mouth with her hand. "Ernesta." She spits out before she falls back on the bed, laughing.

Cooper grunts. "I'm gonna kill Violet!"

Charlotte sits up and leans into him. "I think it's cute, a little strange, but still, cute." She kisses his shoulder.

"Is that how you two bond? Sharing embarrassing stories about me?"

"No. Of course not." She sucks on her bottom lip. "Can you just get naked, please?" She says as she starts taking off his shirt. "Now that she knows I'm here, maybe she won't interrupt us again."

"Unlikely." He says with a smirk. "I'm glad you two are getting along."

"Stop talking about Violet. In here…in this bed, it's just me and you."

He laughs. "Well, that would be…" Charlotte slaps him. "I'm kidding." He takes off his pants and pulls off her grey sweatshirt.

Soon they're naked and under the sheet. Her feet are cold against his legs and he shivers a little. Their lips meet and he runs his hand down her bare back. She nibbles on his bottom lips as his hands rest on her hips. She shifts a little and presses her body against his. She presses her lips to his jaw and can feel his hand slip between them and cup her breast. She hears a whiny voice outside the door and groans. "Just ignore her." He whispers in her ear as he tugs on her earlobe. She smiles and slides her hand down his chest and he gasps when she grabs him. She gives a gentle pull and then massages him deeply. She draws tiny circles with her fingers in his hair and slides her hand up and down. He sucks in air and then hears Violet's voice again. "Violet, go away." He says firmly and she finally gets the hint and walks away. Cooper sighs. "Sorry." Charlotte slips under the sheets and grazes his penis with her teeth. "Oh, ok." He laughs. _Seems she's already ignored Violet. _Charlotte slides back up, this time, on top of him, and pulls at his lip. She pushes her lips into his and opens her eyes. They stare at each other for a second before she feels him slide in.

* * *

><p>Minutes later, Charlotte's arms are draped around Cooper and her body is pressed up against him. Her head rests on his chest and she's tugging gently at his chest hair. The sheet is arranged loosely over them. She snorts. "Why Ernesta?" She smiles.<p>

_I'm gonna kill Violet. _"We're still on this?"

"Come on. Tell me the story."

"I'm an only child."

"So Ernesta was your sister?"

"Yes. I pretended she was my sister. I took her everywhere, did things with her, like you would with a sibling…before I had friends. My mom thought it was cute."

Charlotte moves her hand up and down his chest. "Wanna do it again?" He nods and she rolls on top of him again.

* * *

><p>The next day, Cooper turns the corner in the hospital and walks down the hallway. He's going to check on a patient when he sees his patient's girlfriend leaving the room. "Lyla?" He looks in the room and his patient looks distraught. "Lyla. Hey." He runs after her. "Hey, what happened?" He steps in front of her.<p>

"I can't do this." She says through her tears. "He's gonna have half of his jaw removed and maybe it's horrible, but I'm just supposed to be ok with that? Every time I look at him knowing that I did this?"

"No, no, he does not blame you."

"I blame me. He spent his entire life trying to get his face fixed, and then he meets me and…"

"Look, hey. I get that you're hurting, but he loves you."

She pulls away from him. "Don't…don't say that. Don't make me feel worse because I know it's selfish…"

"You're scared, you're overwhelmed and you wanna run." _Maybe you should talk to Charlotte. _"I've been there. Bad things happen, you wanna run, but if you can stick it out with somebody that you love, it is hard to find. He needs you."

"I'm sorry." Lyla walks away and Cooper puts his head down. _I'm glad I didn't walk away or run when things were hard with Charlotte. I couldn't…I get that Lyla feels guilty, but…_Cooper sighs and walks up to the cafeteria.

* * *

><p>Cooper's sitting outside on a bench. He takes a sip of his drink and leans forward. <em>I feel bad for Brandon. He finds out he has cancer and his girlfriend walks out on him all in one afternoon. <em>Cooper sighs. _I wish Lyla would just reconsider. Sure she feels guilty, she feels bad, but Brandon feels worse. He needs her. She is being selfish. _Cooper turns his hand and rests his chin on his hand. He sees Charlotte walks out of the hospital with her hands in her lab coat pockets. She stops short and turns her head. "What are you doin' out here?"

"My cancer patient, Brandon, has to have a portion of his jaw removed, and his girlfriend dumped him. She feels guilty for making him sick, so she dumped him." _Why of all times would you run now?_

Charlotte sits down next to him. "Sounds like she's a real prize." _If I was Brandon, I'd lose her quick._

"She's just a kid. I tried to convince her she was making a mistake." He pauses. "You got any ideas?"

"Nothing you can say is gonna make someone do something they don't wanna do."

_Real helpful, Char. _"Well, Brandon needs her."

"Brandon wants her. What Brandon needs is this surgery and to find a woman who's not gonna run out on him when the goin' gets tough. Focus on helping them see what they really need. Don't just give them what they ask for."

_She has a point. I hate when she's right. _He sighs and nods. "You're right, but he's spent his entire life trying to get better and now he met someone who made him happy and…"

Charlotte puts her hand against Cooper's face. "She doesn't deserve him, Coop."

"Is this…do you feel…?"

"We're not talkin' about us. We're talkin' about Brandon." She explains with a smile. "He'll be ok without her. He won't be ok if he doesn't have this surgery."

Cooper leans forward and presses his lips against hers. She gives in a little bit, but pulls back. "What?"

She looks around. "I'm working."

"They won't think less of you if you have a boyfriend, Char…a little PDA is good." He laughs. "You're not a nun. I think they all know you have a boyfriend. It's just a kiss. We're not having sex on the bench." He brushes his hand across her cheek and tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear. She pulls his hand away. "What now?"

"I have to go."

"What's your problem?" He takes a sip of his diet coke.

"If you keep touchin' me and talkin' about sex, I'm gonna want to rip off your clothes, so keep your hands to yourself when I'm at work." She laughs a little and walks back into the hospital.

Cooper smiles and leans back on the bench. _Thank God I didn't run. _He repeats to himself and walks back to Brandon's room.

* * *

><p>Charlotte knocks on Violet's door and she answers. "He's not home yet."<p>

_This sounds familiar. _She smiles, faintly. "That's ok. I'll wait."

"Hmm."

"Are you gonna let me in or are you gonna make me stand out here until he comes home?"

Violet opens the door wider. "Come in."

"Thank you." Charlotte follows Violet into the living room and sits on the couch. "So how was the ultrasound? That was today, right?"

"It's a boy." Violet smiles. "Pete was there."

"How was that? Pete bein' there, I mean."

"It's nice that he wants to be involved, but it could be Sheldon's baby."

"He cares about you." Charlotte eyes the bottle of nail polish on the coffee table. "Plannin' to paint your nails?" She laughs. "You can't even tie your own shoes."

"That's been there for months. Haven't got around to putting it away."

"I'm pretty good. I'll do it."

"Really?"

She looks around. "Got nothin' better to do right now." She pauses. "You got those things you put between your toes to separate 'em?"

"Upstairs." Charlotte nods and walks up the stairs. She finds what she's looking for and comes back down. She walks into the kitchen. "You got any wine?"

"I'm pregnant, Charlotte."

"Clearly. I meant for me, Violet."

"Should be some."

"You want anything."

"No thanks."

"Suit yourself." Charlotte pours herself a glass of wine and comes back into the living room. She sits back on the couch.

Violet leans back on the armrest. "You're not so bad." Violet jokes.

"You either." Charlotte admits. _I can't believe I just said that. _"So who are you hoping is the father?" She says bluntly, taking Violet by surprise.

"Uh, um, I don't know."

"You must have someone you want to be with, right?" She pauses. "I mean, come on, Sheldon?"

Violet winks. "Sheldon, he…" Charlotte looks up as Violet shows her with her hands.

Charlotte laughs. "Really?"

"Oh, yes."

"Always the quiet ones." Charlotte smiles. _This isn't so bad. Maybe Cooper was right. _"How are you feelin'?"

"Nauseous, tired, can't really breathe anymore."

* * *

><p>Cooper walks into the living room. <em>Uh…<em>He puts his coat and backpack down and stares at the two women on the couch. "Uh, what are you doing?"

Charlotte laughs. "What the hell's it look like? I'm paintin' her nails."

"This isn't right, you two together."

_Wait, what? _"You begged me to be nice to her."

Violet turns her head to look at him. "You told me to stop calling her names."

"I'm glad you're friends, and I'm glad you're both in my life. I mean, it's hard enough to find one good woman, and I found two."

"Then what's the problem?" Violet asks.

"Well, my girlfriend life and my best friend life are colliding in a womanly-woman fest of nail polish and bonding." He pauses. "You know what? I'm gonna go, uh, drink with guys. You, I will talk to you in the morning, and I will tie your shoes, make you lunch, and talk about babies and boy and you, I'll see later at your place for sex. Lots and lots of sex." He kisses them both. "But for now, I'm just gonna go."

Violet arches her eyebrows. "You're actually leaving?"

"You know, one woman at a time is all I can handle. One woman at a time." _Too much women…ugh._

* * *

><p>They hear the door click and Violet and Charlotte share glances. They laugh and Violet leans back on the cushions. "He actually left."<p>

Charlotte laughs again. "He can't handle us."

"Well, we are high maintenance." Violet smiles and straightens out her other foot for Charlotte.

"He kept baggerin' me to be nice to you and when I actually am, he walks away. I don't understand him sometimes."

"I leaned pretty quickly that Cooper can't be understood. You just have to go with it."

"I see. Anything else I should know?" She begins to paint Violet's other foot.

"Not really. He likes to talk."

"I already figured that one out." She laughs.

"I start to tune him out after a while." Violet pauses. "Oh and if he's upset, you can expect him to talk even more especially about what's making him upset." She smiles. "When he found out about Pacific Wellcare, I couldn't get him to shut up. All he talked about for weeks was how Charlotte did this and Charlotte did that."

Charlotte swallows. "Oh." _Is that s'posed to make me feel better or worse?_

"He's passionate…he cares, I should say. He takes things to heart. He's a girl in that way. He's sensitive." Violet laughs. "When he talked about you, I could tell he still loved you or cared about you, that's why he was so upset."

Charlotte smiles with her head down. She didn't want Violet to see her. _So, feel better. _She angled Violet's pinky toe up a little so she could paint the tiny nail. "All done. Let 'em dry before you go waddlin' around."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." She pauses and stands up. "I'm gonna go get more wine, you want something?"

"A pickle."

"Ok." Charlotte pads into the kitchen and comes back with a jar of pickles and a glass of wine. She sits back down on the couch and puts her feet up. "I can't believe Cooper left."

Violet laughs. "Well…"

Charlotte takes a sip of her wine. "He's had a hard day so I guess it's understandable that he wants to go out and drink."

"His patient?"

"Yeah. He feels bad because Brandon's girlfriend dumped him."

"Oh." Violet bites off a piece of her pickle.

Charlotte looks at the clock on the TV. "Oh. I should go."

"Ok." Violet starts to get up.

"No, stay. I can show myself out." Charlotte smiles and walks out of Violet's house.

* * *

><p>Cooper rings the doorbell and Charlotte sails trough the living room. She opens the door and smiles. "Have a good time with guys tonight, Coop?" She laughs.<p>

"Yes. I would ask you if you had a good time with Violet, but I could clearly see you did."

"She's not that bad." Charlotte stands on her tippy toes and kisses him on his chin.

"I told you."

"Are we gonna have sex or we gonna stand here and talk about Violet?" She unbuckles his jeans and slides her hand under his waistband. She cups his inner thigh and he swallows. "I'll take that as we're gonna have sex." He nods energetically and she pulls her hand back out. She drags him into the bedroom and closes the door. Charlotte will never admit this to Cooper, but she actually likes Violet, although she's sure he already knows that.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the lack of updates. I like writing this story, but it takes more time because I have to watch the episode and dissect it. Anyway, here it is. I'll try to update this story more often if I can. <strong>

**Please review. Let me know what's working and what isn't. :)**


	20. Crazy, Hostile, and Needy

_Sorry for the slack updating. Here's the next chapter._

* * *

><p>Cooper's in an exam room with a patient. He just finishes weighing her and taking her height when her cell phone rings. She leaps off the table and walks out of the room. Cooper looks at his patient's mother. "Twelve. Wow. Wasn't it like a year ago, she was carrying around that stuffed unicorn she made everybody pet. Now she's got pierced ears and a cell phone." He says as he scribbles stuff in the girl's chart.<p>

"Well, given what passes for kids TV, the internet, what can you do?" The mother stands up. "Uh, speaking of which, I think Sarah needs to see a female doctor."

His eyes widen. "Oh. Um, are you uncomfortable with me examining Sarah or is she?"

"No, no, it's not that. It's…I need someone to prescribe her birth control."

Cooper blinks slowly and stares at the woman. He swallows. _What? She's twelve. _"Oh." He pauses. "We'll have to get her blood work and urine tests back before anyone prescribes her anything." He says. "In the meantime, I'll talk to Dr. Naomi Bennett."

The door opens again and Sarah walks in. "What?" She looks at Cooper. "Dr. Cooper?"

Cooper blinks. "Nothing. Let's check those reflexes of yours." She hops back on the table and Cooper continues his exam.

* * *

><p>Charlotte and Violet are downstairs at the breakfast bar at Pacific Wellcare. They've become close friends over the past week. Violet piles food onto her plate and Sheldon looks on as he picks up a scone and puts it on his plate. He walks slowly along the trays of food, secretly, or what he thinks is secretly, staring at her. Charlotte notices. "Ever see a pregnant woman before, Sheldon?" Her southern twang even more drawn out.<p>

He swallows and quickly diverts his eyes. "No, uh, yes, I have to go." Sheldon scurries off.

Charlotte looks at Violet and starts laughing. "I bet you're hopin' that baby is Pete's because Sheldon as a father…" She trails off and starts cracking up again.

They finish and walk up the stairs to the fifth floor. Charlotte opens the door for Violet because her hands were full. Violet swallows. "I don't like how Sheldon was looking at me. He had on that critical face like, 'Oh, you're gonna eat all that?'"

"Don't mind him."

"I do mind him. I mind everyone, everyone who thinks that I choose to eat like a walrus, much less look like one."

"What're you gonna do? Babies need to be fed."

"It's only temporary. Breast-feeding alone will burn a million calories."

They stop walking and Charlotte gets in her face. "Though you're not breast-feeding yet." Charlotte turns around when Violet's eyes dart towards Pete's office. "I thought you were over Pete."

"I am. I am. Entirely."

_Yeah ok. _Charlotte walks down the hallway and into Violet's office. She sets the second cup in her hand down on the desk. "You're not foolin' me." She laughs and walks out of the office and back downstairs.

* * *

><p>Cooper's standing outside the exam room with the mother of his patient. Naomi is in the exam room with Sarah. "Naomi's great. Don't worry." <em>This is awkward. <em>Cooper looks down at the floor, avoiding the mother's gaze. "Um, the whole, you know, the-kids-grow-up-so-fast thing, I obviously-I get that. And I assume you're being clear with Sarah that it's too early for sex."

"Oh, Dr. Freedman, she's already having it. She has a boyfriend, another eighth-grader. They both have hormones raging, and frankly, I don't trust him to use a condom. I'm trying to be proactive."

_Proactive? You're allowing your twelve year-old daughter to have sex. That's not being proactive. _"But you're condoning this."

"This is gonna happen whether I like it or not. I'm just trying to keep as much of it as I can on my terms. The kids are only allowed to have sex in my house when I'm there." She takes a breath and sits down.

_What?_ _Did I just hear that correctly? _He turns around to face the woman. "Wait. I'm…I'm sorry. What?"

"Would it be better if I forced them to sneak around? Scrambling for privacy, God knows where, with no supervision?"

Cooper sits down next to her. _It'd be better if they weren't having sex. _"Wouldn't it be better if you told them no?" He says as if that option should have been obvious.

"And enforce it how? It's just me, and I work 50 hours a week. I can only try to steer her in the right direction. Help her avoid getting hurt."

"She's twelve years old and she's having sexual intercourse. She's already being hurt."

"All due respect, you are out of line." She adjusts her purse and stands up just as her daughter walks out of the room.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

"We're leaving." The woman looks at Naomi. "Thank you."

Naomi looks at the clearly upset woman and then at Cooper. "What did you say to her?" He sighs, but stays silent. _How could she? Sarah's twelve years old. What kind of example is she setting? 'Go ahead Sarah. Do whatever you want. Have sex in my house with your boyfriend. Just as long as you're safe. Have a ball.' _He stands up and leaves, with Naomi still waiting for his answer.

* * *

><p>Naomi meets up with Cooper down the hallway and follows him into the kitchen. "I just spent time with a happy, healthy girl that she has raised. Yvonne is obviously doing something right."<p>

"She's doing a lot of things right. I don't think that excuses letting her daughter have sex in the room next to hers." He looks at Violet. "Violet, could you back me up here?"

"Well, it's not that simple. I mean, adolescent sexuality is not something you can just say no to. You have to address the nuances of a particular situation."

"Yeah. So a mother who acknowledges her daughter's desires and tries to channel them safely is…"

Violet cuts Naomi off and continues. "Probably doing the right thing."

"Yeah."Naomi says before Violet tries to climb on top of the counter. "Hey, wait. What are you doing?"

"Hey, hey." Cooper adds.

Dell helps her grab what she wants. She smiles at the box. "Hello, Hopscotchers."

"Violet." Cooper tries to get her attention back to the conversation. "The mother is allowing her twelve year-old daughter to have sex in her house."

"Cooper, if you're not there, it's really hard to know what's right for her and her daughter."

Dell interjects. "Yeah because why would a man get a say? I mean, mother knows best. That's how the world works." He says bitterly.

"See…Ok. Like with Dell, right? Mother does not always know best."

"Yeah, but it's apples and oranges." Naomi says calmly.

"No, it is not, and how can you, as the mother of a little girl, h…how can you not have a problem with what Yvonne's doing here?"

"With Maya, this would be…zero chance of happening because I'd kill her." She pauses. "I am talking about Yvonne's right as a parent to decide what is right for her child."

"Fine. But motherhood is not a trump card. Wrong is wrong."

"Parents get to decide that, Cooper. Not doctors." Violet says.

Dell interrupts them again. "I just hope that when Betsey's twelve, there's someone like Cooper to say it's not ok to be sleeping around, no matter what the mother thinks." Dell backs out of the room and Violet, Cooper, and Naomi stare at each other for a few awkward seconds before Naomi gets up to go after Dell.

Cooper looks at Violet. "She's twelve, Violet. Twelve!"

"Cooper, it's not your place. You're not her mother. At least the mom is helping the daughter stay safe."

"That's not the point. The point is she's allowing her daughter to have sex." _I can't believe no one sees how disturbing and wrong this is. _"It's disgusting." He sighs and walks out of the kitchen in a huff. _Unbelievable._

* * *

><p>Cooper's sitting on his couch in his office, looking over patient notes when he hears a phone ringing behind the pillow. He picks it up and looks at the text message. <em>Sarah, luv this pic of you. Bo thinks u r so hot naked. <em>He reads it to himself and sighs. _This has gone too far now. _He stands up and rubs his face. _This is unbelievable. I wonder how the mother's gonna feel about this. _Violet interrupts his thoughts and sits on the chair. "I can't help it. All I wanna do is eat and sleep and bark. I barked at Pete this morning. He deserved it. He wants to date a patient's mother." _I have bigger problems then Pete wanting to date a patient's mother. _He hands her the phone. "What?" She snaps.

"A message from some kid about the naked pictures of my twelve year-old patient that are now apparently floating around. You still think mother knows best?" He walks over to his desk and picks up his phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"I'm calling DCFS."

Naomi walks in with a folder. "About Sarah?" She pauses. "No, Cooper, you cannot do that."

"Somebody needs to protect this girl."

"You cannot call Family Services. I just got her blood work back. Sarah's pregnant."

Cooper slams the phone on the dock. _Unbelievable. _He straightens out. "Still think mother knows best?" Cooper sighs and walks out of his office.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Charlotte walks up to Violet's front door and knocks. She's in a long coat, buttoned firmly, and holding a paper bag at her side. "I'm coming." Violet says as she walks over to the door. She unlocks it and opens it.<p>

Charlotte swallows. "I was supposed to be here…" _Great. _

"Cooper's not back yet." Violet says, giving Charlotte the once over.

_This'll be awkward. _"I can wait."

"Come in." Violet smiles and Charlotte follows her into the living room. Charlotte and Violet sit on the couch. Violet continues to eat her ice cream while they sit in a bubble of awkward silence for a few minutes.

Charlotte looks at Violet, who is shoveling ice cream into her mouth. "You gonna tell me the problem?"

"You were right. I'm jealous. I'm not jealous like I wanna be with him, I'm just jealous like…I don't wanna see him with anybody else. Which is crazy and unfair."

"Crazy, but makes sense. Given what you two had…may have." Charlotte says looking at Violet's stomach.

"I know, but it's Pete. It's like, "sleep with the temp," Pete, "sleep with anything," Pete, "I'm bad in a relationship," Pete."

"Good people do bad things."

"Bad people do bad things." She pauses. "I would kill for some whipped cream." Charlotte looks around and sucks on the inside of her lip. She reaches over and searches in the bag for the whipped cream. _This is about to get very awkward. _She swallows and sets the container on the coffee table. She leans back again and folds her hands on her lap. She clears her throat a little and Violet quirks her eyebrows before gabbing the whipped cream.

Charlotte looks at Violet going for the whipped cream and swallows hard. "People change. When they're with the right person, they can change." Charlotte watches Violet stick a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. _Just say it. _She sucks on her bottom lip and stares at the red bowl, trying to build up the courage. She inhales and lets it out slowly. "I slept with Archer Montgomery," Violet looks at her strangely, "when things were rocky with Cooper and me."

"Archer?" Violet can't wrap her mind around it.

_Don't look at me like that. Cooper knows. It's not a secret. _"Coop knows. He forgave me."

"Well, of course he's gonna forgive you. He has a neurotic desire to rescue, which makes him susceptible to hostile dependency."

_When did this turn into a shrinkin' session. _"I confided in you to make a point about Pete."

"Yeah, and maybe you want a little catharsis? You want a professional to tell you that it's ok? Well, it's not ok."

_You wanna play that game with me, Violet. Ok, you asked for it. _"You think if I needed absolution…which I don't…I'd seek out someone who slept with two men, one floor apart, and didn't have the courage or the decency to figure out, let alone tell them, whose baby she's carryin'?" _Yeah, you play with fire, you're gonna get burned._

Cooper unlocks the door and walks into the house. "Everybody's having sex. Everybody." He walks into the living room. "Governors, they get call girls. Girls sell their virginity on the Internet. Not a celebrity in this town goes out with their underpants on. But it's my twelve year-old patient who pays the price. How's that fair?"

Violet nods. "I'm going to bed." She pushes herself up and walks towards the archway. She turns back around and picks up the whipped cream container, while staring at Charlotte. "I'm keeping this." Violet walks away.

* * *

><p>Cooper looks at Charlotte and tilts his head a little in confusion.<em> What happened here? <em>Charlotte looks at him and lets out a deep breath. She smiles faintly. "It's about time you got here."

"What's up with you and Violet? There was definitely some hostility."

"Nothing."

"Char? What happened?" He sat on the couch next to Charlotte. _Are we gonna play this game again? _

"Your best friend is nosy and thinks everyone needs her help."

"Oh?" He pauses. "Oh come on, give me something else."

"Don't you want a piece of this?" She slowly opens her coat, revealing her naked body underneath.

"You must be cold." He laughs. "Tell me what's wrong first."

She blinks and rolls her eyes. "She had a bad day. I was tryin' to give her some advice on how to handle it. I told her I slept with Archer to make a point about Pete dating a patient's mother. She thought I was tryin' to make myself feel better about what I did with Archer."

"Well, are you?"

"No! I forgave myself a long time ago. I've moved on. I was just tryin' to make a point about Pete." She let out her breath and rubbed her eyes. "Now, can I take your clothes off?"

He smiles and presses his lips against hers, softly. "Yes." They stand up and retreat into the guest bedroom.

* * *

><p>Cooper and Naomi are sitting in her office. Sarah and her mother are sitting across from them on the couch. The mother takes a deep breath. "You said you got the blood work back?"<p>

"Yes, but…"

The mother cuts off Naomi. "We're all set with the birth control? You can just write a prescription and…"

Naomi clears her throat. "Sarah's pregnant."

Sarah and her mother stare at Naomi, blankly. "She's pregnant?"

"Oh, my God." Sarah says in disbelief.

Cooper sighs. "You're gonna be ok, Sarah."

"Uh, h…how soon…How soon can we, uh, take care of it?"

Sarah looks at her mother. "Mom."

"I'm so sorry. I should've never let this happen. But I will fix it."

Naomi blinks. "Let's …Let's all just take a breath, ok? This is new and it's hard and it's very scary, but there are a lot of factors to consider before we get to that point, ok?" Naomi looks at Sarah. "You ok?"

Cooper sighs again, looking at his distraught patient. "Hey, Sarah, I know this is scary, and you shouldn't have to go through this at your age…"

The mother cuts him off. "We've heard your point of view, and of course she shouldn't have to go through it." She takes her eyes off of Cooper and back onto Naomi. "She's having an abortion."

"This is where you put your foot down?"

"She's twelve years old."

"Where did you think it was leading?"

"Cooper." Naomi says.

"Excuse me." He stands up and walks away from them. He stands behind Naomi, back by her desk. He rubs his hands and looks down at the floor. _Unbelievable. Now she stands up. Now she puts her foot down. Now that it's too late. Now that…_His thoughts are all mumbled together and he's not listening to the conversation that's going on in the room. When the conversation ceases, Cooper takes a deep breath and leaves the room. _She's definitely gonna win the parent of the year award. _He mocks cynically and walks into his office.

* * *

><p>Cooper picks up the phone and dials Charlotte's office number. "Dr. King."<p>

"Charlotte, I need to talk."

"Now?"

"Come up here now." He takes a deep breath and slams the phone back down on the dock. His hands are shaking a little and he starts to pace. He sits down on the chair and folds his hands together. He looks down at the floor and closes his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

Charlotte angrily walks down the hallway and pulls open Cooper's office door. "What was so important I had to run up here in the middle of my day?"

He clasps his hands together tightly. "I want to throttle someone."

Charlotte shakes her head. "You gotta be kiddin' me."

"I'm serious." He stands up. "I'm serious. I had to walk out of a consult so I didn't explode at the mother of my twelve year-old patient, my pregnant twelve year-old patient, whose mother's decided all of a sudden, she's interested in parenting again." He lets out a breath and turns around away from Charlotte. "I should've called DCFS."

"Coop, isn't this what you wanted? For her to step up and parent?"

He turns around. "Parent, yes. She's dictating an abortion to a twelve year-old."

"Is she wrong?"

He looks down at the floor and takes a few more deep breaths. "Probably not." He pauses. "I see what it is doing to that girl, what it's going to be doing to her, and I find that hard to forgive."

"You forgave me. For worse."

"That's different." He pauses. "Because I love you. That woman is…she allowed her twelve year-old to have sex in the room next to hers and she didn't think this was gonna happen? It was bound to. They're kids. They're not responsible."

Charlotte lets out a breath. "Cooper, she's being a parent. That's what you wanted. Let it go."

"I can't!"

"This isn't your business."

"She's my patient."

"Now she's Naomi's. Let her handle this. You did what you could." She pauses. "The mother's scared. She feels guilty. Yellin' at her isn't gonna help."

Cooper smiles faintly. "I knew you'd help."

"Are we done? I have work to do."

"Yeah, sorry. I just…I was seriously going to kill that woman if I didn't get out of there."

She cups his face in hers hands and presses her lips against his. "Take a breath. Calm down." He nods. "We still on for dinner tonight?"

"Yeah. I was thinking Mexican."

"Sounds good." She kisses him again quickly. "I'll see you later. Try not to kill anybody when I'm gone." She laughs and walks back down the hallway.

* * *

><p>Cooper was standing in the hallway watching Naomi talk to Sarah about her pregnancy. He turns his head and notices the mother in Naomi's office, staring out the window. He takes a deep breath and opens the door. He steps in and closes the door. '<em>She scared. She feels guilty. Yellin' at her isn't gonna help'. <em>Charlotte's words strangle his brain as he stands there by the door. The woman crosses her arms over her chest and speaks. "Well, I screwed up. I had my chance to be a parent, and I screwed up." She turns around. Now she doesn't care what I have to say. You know what she told me? That she's the baby's mother, so she gets to decide."

"She's right. You can't force her to have an abortion. But you're still her mother, and if she's gonna be a parent, she's gonna need you even more." He pauses. "Sarah is still a child, and she has a lot to learn from you."

"You think she'll listen to me?'

"I think you have to keep trying." He sighs. "That's what being a parent's all about. You can't give up on her. She's scared. She needs you. You can't change what happened, but you can choose how to handle it."

"Thank you, Dr. Freedman." Cooper nods and walks out of the office.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Charlotte's waiting outside Cooper's office, waiting for him to get his stuff. She watches Violet stare into the kitchen at Pete playing with his patient and talking to the mother. <em>I can't believe I'm about to do this. <em>Cooper comes out and adjusts his jacket. "All right, margaritas, chimichangas. You ready, Amiga?" She's staring at him, trying to find the words. He tries to read her face, but he can't. "What?"

She takes a deep breath. "Violet's crazy and hostile and needy, and she drives me up a wall, but she needs you, Coop." She rests her hand on his cheek and rubs it a little. She touches his chin with her finger and then touches his nose. She smiles. "Go home." She turns around and walks down the hallway before he can argue.

Cooper watches her leave and sighs. _What? Did that just happen? Did Charlotte actually tell me to go home to Violet? _He rubbed his eyes. _Somebody pinch me because I swear I'm dreaming._ He looks down at the floor and puts his backpack over his shoulder. He takes a deep breath and walks down the hallway.

* * *

><p>Cooper unlocks the door to Violet's house and walks through the living room. Violet's sitting on the couch with a bowl on pistachio ice cream. Cooper sits down next to her and puts his bag on the floor. Violet looks at him. "I thought you were having dinner with Charlotte?"<p>

"She told me to go home."

"She mad at you?"

"No. She told me to go home because you needed me."

Violet swallows. "She did?"

"I couldn't believe it either." He laughs and reaches into the paper bag he set on the floor. "Cheeseburger?" He smiles and hands her the food. He set the drinks on the coffee table.

"Did everything work out with your patient?"

"She wants to keep the baby."

"Oh."

"I almost killed the mother today. Charlotte had to calm me down." He pauses and changes the subject. "So if Charlotte thinks you need me, there must be a reason. What is it?"

Violet laughs and takes a bite of her cheeseburger. "Pete."

"And the fact that he's dating a patient's mother?" She nods. "Do you want to be with Pete?"

"No, yes, I don't know."

He takes a sip of his diet coke. "Is it yes or is it no?" He inquires.

"Yes?" She pauses. "But we're not together. He can do whatever he wants. It's none of my business."

He rests his hand on her stomach. "But it kind of is." He reminds her.

"This could be Sheldon's baby. I want him to have a life. We're not dating. I don't have a say of who he dates."

"But it doesn't make it any easier to see him happy with someone else?"

"No." She confesses and nibbles on a fry.

He wraps his arm around her and pulls her against him. She struggles to find a comfortable position at first, but then relaxes into him. He takes another sip of his diet coke. "It's gonna be ok, Vi."

"I'm not sure about that."

"Let him date. Let him screw around. You don't need him. He'll learn quickly that you're the best thing he'll ever have." He smiles.

"Are you flirting with me because I don't think Charlotte would be too happy about that?" She laughs.

He rolls his eyes. "No, I'm not flirting with you. I have Charlotte. I don't need to flirt." She sighs. "Relax, Vi. Stuff your face." He turns on the TV and smiles. "Hey, look. This is perfect. American Bake-off marathon."

She smiles. "Turn it up." She says as she sits up and puts her feet on the coffee table. "Look at the judges' faces." She laughs.

"She's going home." He finishes his drink and set it back on the coffee table. He kisses Violet on the top of the head. "You don't need Pete. You've got me, American Bake-off, and cheeseburgers." He laughs and leans back on the couch.

* * *

><p><em>I'm going to combine the next to episodes in one chapter because there's not much CharCoop in the next episode if I remember correctly.<em>

_Might have it uploaded tonight. If not, it'll be uploaded tomorrow._

_Please Review. _

_How'd everyone like the season 5 premiere if you had a chance to see it?_

_Anyway, keep up with the reviews and tell me what you think. I appreciate all that I can get. (Bad and Good)_

_:)_


	21. Adult Sleepovers and a Grasshopper?

_This chapter contains scenes from episodes 2x21 and 2x22 (Including a deleted scene)_

_This chapter marks the end of season two._

_Again, sorry for the slack updates. Hope these two chapters make up for it._

_Please read/review._

* * *

><p>Early in the morning, Cooper's sitting on the living room rug on a yoga mat with Violet in between his legs. His hands are on her pregnant belly and hers are resting on his knees. She takes several quick exhales. "No, no. In and out. You gotta breathe in too, not just out. In. In." She takes a deep breath in. "No, no. You're not…not like a vacuum cleaner. Like a normal person." They start laughing. "Relax."<p>

"That's easy for you to say. You're not gonna have eight pounds of flesh and bones coming out of your…"

He covers her mouth with his hands to stop her from talking. "Ah, ok, I don't…no visual."

_Ain't that precious? _"This is visual enough for me." Cooper and Violet turn their heads and Charlotte's standing there in one of Cooper's shirts. "The point of me stayin' over was not to wake up next to a pillow."

"You can always leave." Violet jokes.

"I know, but I agreed to adult sleepovers in this carnival because I get my inches scratched when the sun comes up…usually."

"Charlotte, I'll be right there."

"I'm goin' back to the room. If you're not there by the time I'm naked…" She trails off and walks back up the stairs.

Violet looks at Cooper. He dismisses Charlotte's comment and continues to coach Violet. "Come on. She's bluffing." Suddenly, her brown shirt falls to the floor beside them. Cooper quickly pushes himself up. _I'll take scratching itches over human vacuums any day. _"Yeah." He leaps up and practically runs out of the living room. "Keep breathing." He calls out to her as he walks up the stairs.

* * *

><p>Cooper opens the guestroom door and Charlotte's sitting on the bed. "I was expectin' you." She laughs and he walks over to her. "Thought I was bluffin', did you?"<p>

"Nope." He lies and crawls into the bed. "So where does it itch?" He smirks.

"I'll let you know when you get warmer." She jokes and he pulls the sheet off of her. He brushes his lips against her bare breasts and continues down her body. "You're gettin' warmer." She whispers and he runs his tongue along her inner thigh and above. She gasps and he knows he's got it. He continues moving his tongue around and inside until she moans. He kisses back up her naked body and sucks on her neck a little, but not too hard. He presses his lips against hers and slides his tongue through her now parted lips. She licks his teeth and sucks on his bottom lip while sliding her hand up and down his chest, stopping just below his waist. He yelps and bites on his lip as the pressure builds. She slides her hand back up and climbs on top of him.

* * *

><p>Minutes later, Charlotte's lying next to him, back in his brown, long sleeved shirt. She licks her lips and pulls the sheet over them. Cooper looks at her. "Good morning."<p>

She smirks. "Mornin'."

"We should get ready for work."

"We should." She sits on the edge of the bed. "When is Violet poppin' that baby out?"

"She's 35 weeks-ish."

"Well she needs to hurry up and get cooked, so you can move out and I can stop runnin' into you two havin' deep breathin' lessons in the living room."

He laughs. "You're just jealous 'cause it isn't you my hands are on."

"I'm entitled to be jealous."

He pulls the cover off of him and crawls over to her. He kneels behind her and brushes his lips against her neck. He blows on the back of her neck and she shivers. "Jealousy is hot." He whispers against her skin. He rests his hands on her hips and moves them up towards her breasts. He continues and runs his hands through her short, blonde hair. He rolls out her neck a little and kisses just below her left ear. He sucks on her earlobe and she whips her head around. Their lips press against each other and she closes her eyes tight. He separates. "We really have to get ready for work." He feels her hands grip his upper, inner thigh and he gasps. "No, reall…" She grabs him and he moans as she moves her hand up and down him. "Char…" He rolls his eyes and finds himself on his back again. "I guess we have some time." He smirks and closes his eyes as her lips push into his firmly.

* * *

><p>William White is waiting in Charlotte's office when she opens the door later that night. <em>This is a surprise. <em>He smiles. "Charlotte."

"William, I had no idea you were in town." She says as she's walking towards her desk. She's trying to put on her fake smile for him. She's not entirely happy to see him.

"Just a bit of business. I wanted to check in and see how my practice was doing."

"There were some bumps, but I'm feeling good about where things are headin'. Patient bookings are strong."

"Good, good. I'm glad to hear it." He nods and walks towards the door.

She turns around and swallows. "That's all you wanted?"

"I'll be back in a couple weeks. You can bring me up to speed on everything then." She takes a deep breath and looks around her office. She's skeptical that all he wanted was to see how things were going. He was obviously in there for something. He would have just called. She's not entirely sure why William White's there, but she knows it can't be good. He's never in town. Something's up, and she's damn sure gonna find out what it is. She swallows as a lump forms in her throat. She doesn't like this feeling. The feeling that something's wrong, that there's a real reason William's there, and it isn't just to check in with her. She blinks slowly and slumps down in her chair. There's only one thing that would help her forget about William's surprise visit, and that's sex…good, dirty, sweaty, sex. She takes a deep breath and checks her email before standing up. She blinks and walks out of her office, locking it behind her. She doesn't want any more unexpected visitors stopping by.

* * *

><p>Cooper's sitting on the living room floor with Violet between his legs, much like they were sitting this morning. They're breathing in and out heavily, his hands firmly on her belly. They were talking about how Sheldon purposed to her. She lets out a deep breath. "It's insane."<p>

He smiles faintly as Violet continues practicing her breathing. "Sheldon loves you." _I can't understand why she'd want him. He's old, but he loves her. Love is hard to find. _He thinks as a vision of Charlotte pops into his head.

"Why?"

_Everyone loves you. I did. _"Despite your eccentricities, you are rather lovable, Violet."

"I've been horrible to him. I slept with him and I didn't tell him about Pete. I kept him from the baby."

"Yeah. He still loves you." He lets out a deep breath. "Do you love him?"

Charlotte opens the door and hears Violet and Cooper talking. She rolls her eyes and bites on her bottom lip as she closes the door. She was hoping Cooper would be alone or at least that Violet would be asleep when she got there. She puts her keys on the cabinet by the door and continues to listen to Violet talk about Sheldon as she walks into the living room "He's a really good person. We have a lot of fun together. He gets me. I get him. Oh, God. Maybe I do." Cooper nods and chuckles a little at that. Charlotte rounds the corner and swallows. She looks between Cooper and Violet and Violet starts talking. "Hey, Charlotte, could we have another minute?"

"Right now, Violet, I am tired," she starts putting her stuff down on the couch, "and I've had a bad day, and I'm horny. If I have to wait another minute to blow off some steam, I might explode."

"Charlotte." Cooper says, calmly. She turns around slowly and glares at him, her teeth gritted in frustration. "I need to finish this with Violet."

Charlotte sucks on her bottom lip and blinks slowly. She walks away. _Of course. It's always Violet. Violet this, and Violet that. _Violet looks at Cooper. "Oh, Cooper…"

"It's…keep breathing. In. In. And out." _I have to finish this. Violet needs me too. _He continues to help her with her breathing exercises for a while. He hears the toilet flush upstairs and the door to the bedroom click closed. "Keep breathing, Violet."

"You should go upstairs."

"No, I'm good here. Keep breathing."

"Cooper, she sounds like she needs you more than I do."

"She can wait. I'm here for you. Keep breathing. In and out. Relax." He lets out a breath and she mimics him.

* * *

><p>A half hour later, Cooper walks up the stairs and opens the door to the bedroom. Charlotte's under the covers, her clothes folded on the chair by the closet. "Char?" She sits up and looks at him. Her eyeliner is smeared and streaks of mascara stain her reddened cheeks. "Oh, Char, what happened at work?"<p>

"Don't act like you care now." She snaps.

He takes off his shoes and his pants and slips under the covers next to her. "Please, tell me what happened. I had to finish with Violet."

"There are bigger problems in the world than havin' to choose between two men, who are clearly in love with her, Cooper." She snarls.

"Ok. I'm here now." He pauses. "Do you wanna talk first or have sex first?" She grunts. "Neither?" He lets out a deep breath and tucks a piece of her short blonde hair behind her ear. "Don't tell me you're not in the mood anymore because if I know you like I think I do, it takes a lot more than me talking to Violet to get you out of it." He brushes his hands against her warm cheek and slips his hand under the sheet. He rubs her arm, and she doesn't pull away. He moves down her body and discovers that she's naked except for her black lace thong.

She looks at him and smiles faintly. "Talk later." She whispers as he moves his fingers along her bare skin. He nods and presses his lips against hers. He can taste the salt of her dried tears as he moves his tongue along her jawbone. He feels bad, but he needed to finish with Violet. He couldn't just abandon her like he did this morning.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, Charlotte's leaning against him, her arms wrapped around him, her head resting on his chest. He rubs her back. "Are you gonna tell me why you've had such a bad day?"<p>

She blinks and takes in a deep breath and exhales against him. "William White's in town."

"Your boss?"

"Uh huh."

"What's he doing here?"

"That's the thing, I have no idea. He says he's gonna be back in two weeks."

"He can't fire you."

"I don't know why he's here, Coop."

"And that scares you?"

"Maybe. I don't know. He's never just showed up like this, and he's never visited twice in one month. He's obviously here for something. I just don't know what it is."

"I'm sure it's nothing. He just wants to see how the practice is doing."

She swallows. "I…"

"Just relax. You have nothing to worry about." He kisses her on the top of her head. "You wanna let off some more steam?" She doesn't answer. She just crawls back on top of him and pushes her lips into him. "Hmm." He mumbles against her lips. He knows this is the only thing that can really help her relax and he's happy to oblige.

* * *

><p>Two weeks later, Cooper's sitting at Charlotte's desk. He came down earlier because she told him William White was visiting and she was acting all weird and tense, so he came down for breakfast. Charlotte's standing at the door, holding her coffee cup with both hands. She watches as William talks to Naomi, who doesn't even work downstairs. She watches him fly past her and head into Sheldon's office. She's getting suspicious now. Sheldon nods to her before going into his office. She slides back into her office and turns to Cooper. "He's meeting with everyone. Everyone except me."<p>

Cooper leaps up and walks over to her. "You have a contract. He can't push you out."

"I'm tryin' to talk to you about what's goin' on." His phone beeps and he looks at the message. She rolls her eyes. "It's Violet…again."

"Grasshopper."

"Cooper." _Of course. It always has to be Violet. I'm tryin' to talk to him, and he just runs off whenever she calls grasshopper. William is walkin' around here meetin' with everyone. I have a contract, but he's William White. He can choose to do anything he damn well pleases, and Cooper doesn't give a crap. All he cares about is Violet and her stupid bug. _She sighs and slumps down in her chair. She's determined to find out what he's talking to everybody about and why he's not talking to her.

"Grasshopper!" He screams while he runs out of her office and towards the elevators.

* * *

><p>A little later in the day, Charlotte walks into Cooper's office. "I saw the waddler walkin' into her office. I assume the grasshopper was a false alarm?" She walks behind his desk and leans against the table he has pressed up against the back wall.<p>

"I should have called you. I got caught with some patients, and uh, we've got some stuff going on here."

"You'll make it up to me. I need you to be my beard." She swings her leg and brushes her knee against his leg.

"Hmm."

"William left again without talkin' to me, but I found out where he's gonna be later, I'll bump into him, start a conversation, impress him."

_You mean, _"Stalk him."

"What do I ever ask from you, Coop? A little slap, little tickle, repeat as necessary." She rubs her leg against his. "I even let you live with another woman. So, you wanna make an issue of this, or you wanna help me?"

_She's kind of scary when she's serious. _"What time should I be there?"

She smiles and nods. _That's what I thought. _"Seven."

"Ok." He pauses. "Speaking of a little slap and tickle…"

"Sorry, can't. I have to work. If tonight goes well, there'll be plenty after dinner." She smirks and walks out of Cooper's office.

Cooper watches her leave and smiles. _Crazy. She has nothing to worry about. I don't know why she's so obsessed with William White not talking to her. Maybe it's a good thing. He has nothing to say to her. Tonight's gonna be very interesting. I don't know whether to be excited or scared. _He laughs and gets back to work.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Charlotte goes to the restaurant right from work. A waitress looks up at her when she walks through the door. "Table for one?"<p>

"Two. I'm waiting for someone."

"Right this way." Charlotte follows the woman to a small table by the window. "I'll be back shortly to take your order." Charlotte nods and watches the woman walk away. She looks around the restaurant and spots Naomi and William talking a few tables away. She sighs and studies his facial expressions. _Maybe it's just a date. A date? Ha. Not likely. _She looks around. _And where the hell is Cooper? I look like a fool, sittin' here all alone. Who goes out to dinner by themselves? _Charlotte takes out her cell phone and texts Cooper again. The waitress walks over to the table. "May I get you a drink?"

"A glass of red wine."

"I'll be right back with your drink."

"Thank you." Charlotte smiles, still a little annoyed that Cooper's late.

Ten minutes later, the waitress comes back. "May I get you another drink while you wait?" She just shakes her head and the waitress walks away. _She probably thinks I'm makin' Cooper up. That I'm just sittin' here by myself, waiting for my invisible boyfriend. Cooper's gonna wish he was invisible when I see him tomorrow. _She looks at the empty seat across from her and sucks on the inside of her bottom lip. She looks at William and Naomi and swallows the lump in her throat. She knows something's fishy now. She has no doubt about it. She just wishes Cooper was here. _I have a contract. I have a contract. Who am I kiddin'? Your boss doesn't start havin' dinner with someone if contracts mean somethin' to him. They're probably just fancy pieces of paper with signatures on it. He can choose what to do with them or how to change them without talkin' to the person first. _She sighs and asks for the check. She puts money on the table and slips out the back.

* * *

><p>Cooper's sitting on the couch with Violet, pressed up against him. He rubs her arm. "Tough choice. Pete or Sheldon." He pauses. "If I were you, I'd choose Pete. Sheldon's old." He shakes, thinking about her and him. "That was a visual I didn't need to have."<p>

She laughs and rubs her stomach. "This baby needs to come out now!"

"Violet, you can't will him out. He'll come when he's ready."

"He's ready now."

"If he was, he'd be here by now. Just relax." He pauses. "Maybe if you choose a man, he'll come. He's waiting until you decide who the father's gonna be." He laughs. "What, that's how it works in the movies?"

She rolls her eyes, but smiles. "I need to decide. Pete…Sheldon."

"Who do you want?"

"If I knew that, I wouldn't have to decide, Cooper."

"Duh, right, sorry. Stupid question. That's why you're the shrink, and not me."

She laughs. "Why couldn't I still be obsessed with Alan and Pete and Sheldon didn't exist?"

"Because than you wouldn't have this little bug." He kisses her stomach. "You're thinking too hard. Just relax. The decision will come naturally. You'll know who you want if you just take a breath and relax."

"I wish it were that easy."

"What would you tell your patient if she was in this mess?"

"I'd tell her to grow some balls and decide."

He laughs. "So, grow some balls and decide."

"Again, I wish it were that easy."

He pulls her against him more. "Take a deep breath and relax. Don't think about it. You'll decide when you're ready. This baby might decide for you with its DNA. Let's just sit here, and not talk. Just breathe and we'll watch some TV." He grabs the remote from the sliver of couch next to him and switches on the TV. "Hey, look perfect timing…"

"Shhh, the models are walking."

"Right. I'm not supposed to talk, make noise, call, or make sudden movements when the models are walking." He laughs silently and focuses on the TV screen. _I feel like there was something I was supposed to remember to do tonight…oh well, Violet needs me. Whatever it was, it can't be that important or I would have remembered it, right? _He swallows and rubs Violet's back. "Stop thinking about it, Violet." He could tell she was still pondering 'Pete or Sheldon'. "Stop it." She nods and turns her focus back to the TV.

* * *

><p>Charlotte comes around the corner and spots Violet and Cooper talking by the front desk. Naomi is standing near them. Charlotte's in a horrible mood. She's possibly losing her job, and Cooper left her alone at a restaurant last night, probably for Violet…again. She's not in the mood this morning, and now she has to confront Naomi. "Congratulations, momma, on popping out that baby. You did pop out that baby, right? Because that's the only possible reason I can fathom for Uncle Coop to have left me sittin' alone like a fool at a restaurant last night."<p>

_Ah. That's what I had to remember. _"Oh, Charlotte, I'm…"

"I'm sorry. It was my fault. I was a wreck."

"Clearly." She snaps at Violet and walks over to Naomi. "You and I need to talk."

Naomi looks over Charlotte's shoulder and sees her patient. She knows exactly what Charlotte wants to talk about. "I, I can't talk about this, I have a patient in crisis right now. I can't have this conversation. I'm sorry." Naomi walks her patient back towards her office.

Sam walks up from the hall of offices and stops at the front desk to get his messages. "What's going on? Is there a problem?" He looks back at Naomi.

Charlotte sucks on the inside of her lip. "The problem, Sam, is that your ex-wife is tryin' to steal my job." _And she might very well succeed at it, unless I can think of a way to impress William White by the end of the day. _She pushes away from the counter and presses the 'DOWN' button on the elevator.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Cooper's on his way to see Charlotte. He just got a call from Violet. She had told him that she was moving in with Pete, so he was free to move out. He lets out a deep breath. <em>Charlotte will love this. It'll just be us again. That's what she's always wanted. This will make her forget about me leaving her in that restaurant by herself. <em>He smiles and pushes the 'DOWN' button on the elevator. He presses 'FOUR' and rides the elevator down. He stops by Charlotte's office and leans against the door, hidden from sight. He listens as she goes on and on to William about three new doctors she's got lined up and that all she needs is his signature and they'll be working there by tomorrow. She goes on about how Naomi is horrible at running a practice and implying that he won't find anyone better than herself. Cooper comes out from his hiding spot when William leaves, and smiles. "Impressive speech."

"Don't try and get in my good graces."

"I'm sorry about last night, and I know I haven't been giving you enough, but listen to this, things are gonna change. Violet is moving in with Pete."

_Nice try. _"Every time you had a choice, you chose her. Now she doesn't need you anymore. Well, you know what? Neither do I." _Chew on that, Cooper. _She scoffs out of her office.

He watches her turn the corner. _What? I thought she'd be happy. Are we done? I'm not ready to be done. There has to be something I can do. _He sighs. _Maybe she'll come around. She has to. When she's horny, she'll be begging for me. I'll just wait._ He pauses. "I screwed up, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did."

He turns around. "I wasn't asking you Sheldon." He sighs and leaves Charlotte's office.

* * *

><p>Charlotte's sitting in her office when William White walks in. He goes up to her desk. "This list, impressive." She smiles. <em>Knew it would work. <em>"Almost perfect." He sets the list on the edge of her desk. "But if you brought all these doctors here, how long do you suppose they'd last?" Her smile quickly fades. _I wasn't expectin' a 'but' in this conversation. _"Your staff doesn't like you, Charlotte. You use them like pawns. The best work is done by people who are inspired, who push themselves because they wanna be part of something larger."

"And you think that Naomi Bennett, or anyone else, is gonna be able to do that for you?"

"Plans I have for this practice require someone with a heart, Charlotte." William White ends the conversation there and walks out of her office.

Charlotte blinks as she feels tears well up in her eyes. She definitely wasn't expecting that. She rubs her eyes and shuts off her computer. She takes a deep breath and stands up. She wishes that Cooper was here. She hates to admit it, but she needs him. He knows she has a heart. He knows she has feelings. _I needed this job. It almost broke me and Cooper up for good and now it's gone. William White thinks I'm heartless. I'll show him heartless. _She inhales and lets it out slowly. She walks over to her door and Sheldon passes her office just before she gets a chance to close the door. She hears him about to ask what's wrong, but she quickly shuts him down. "Don't, Sheldon. I'm not in the mood."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"No, I don't wanna talk about it. Does it look like I wanna talk about it?"

"The people, who need to talk the most, are the ones who don't want to."

"Take that shrink talk somewhere else." She snaps and shuts the door in his face. _The only person I need to talk to is, Cooper, and that's the only person I'm gonna talk to. _Charlotte walks over to the couch and wraps herself in a blanket. She takes out her cell phone and dials Cooper's number.

* * *

><p>Cooper sticks his key into the lock on Violet's front door. He's about to turn it when his phone rings in his pocket. <em>Who's calling me? <em>He takes out his cell phone and looks at the contact. _What does she want? _"Hello?"

"I need you, Cooper."

"Yeah, I just got to Violet's…" _Whatever happened to her not needing me either?_

"I really need you." She can't control her tears anymore. "I got fired."

"Ok, I'll be right there." She sniffles and hangs up the phone. He takes his key out of the door and starts to walk away. He hears muffled cries coming from the house. He stops. _Huh? _He hears a dog bark and just chocks the cries up to random noises of the neighborhood late at night. Charlotte needs him. He shakes his head and continues back to his car.

* * *

><p>Cooper knocks on Charlotte's office door. He called on the way from Violet's house. He wasn't exactly sure where she was calling from. "Come in." She whispers through her cries and he opens the door. He finds her on the couch, curled in a ball under the tan blanket. Fresh tears are welling up in her eyes and some are sliding down her cheeks. He puts his stuff down on the coffee table and sits on the couch next to her. She immediately melts into him and wraps her arms around him. "Thank you."<p>

"Did he say why?" He isn't entirely sure what to say. He just rubs her arm and lets her cry into his shirt. Her shoulders move up and down and he blinks every time he hears her soft whimpers.

"He called me heartless." She whispers against his shirt.

He smoothes down her hair. "You're not heartless."

"According to him I am. Maybe he's right."

"It's gonna be ok."

"Easy for you to say."

He sighs. "I'm sorry. I should have been here. I've been so wrapped up in Violet's crap, that I haven't been a very good boyfriend." He pauses. "Please, forgive me?" She pulls herself closer to him. "It's gonna be…" Her cell phone beeps and then his goes off.

She looks at it. "There's an emergency at the hospital." Cooper blinks and drops his phone on the floor. "What?"

"It's Violet."

She rolls her eyes. "What does she want? Let me guess, grasshopper?"

"No, the emergency, it's Violet. Pete just texted me."

"Oh, oh."

He leaps off the couch and looks at Charlotte. "I'm sorry."

"No, no, this is different, Coop." He nods and feels the tears overflowing. She grabs his right hand and squeezes it tight. "She's gonna be ok, Cooper."

"I have to go."

"So do I." She points out and quickly rubs her eyes. She doesn't need anyone at the hospital knowing she had been crying. She had to play it off. She still had a job, after all. She couldn't pout about being fired too much. She had a job to do. She had a hospital to run. William White would grow to regret his decision if Charlotte had anything to do with it. "Come on. I'll drive. You shouldn't be drivin'."

He nods. "You're probably right." He grabs his stuff and they both rush out of Charlotte's office. He's not sure what he's gonna see when he gets to the hospital, but it couldn't be good.

* * *

><p><em>Now, on to season 3.<em>

_:)_


	22. Snooty Wolves and a Stolen Baby

_over two months, sorry guys. time got away from me and I sort of forgot about this story. But here I am, updating this story finally. _

_Sorry for the long time between updates. I'm trying. _

_:)_

* * *

><p>Cooper's sitting on the floor, pushed up against the wall. He has his phone clutched in his hands. He takes a deep breath and stares at it. He knows what he has to do, but he doesn't want to do it. He closes his eyes and swallows. His brain is swirling. Violet could be dead for all he knows. He wants to be in there, wants to hold her hand, but he can't. He knows she's in good hands—Addison is a great surgeon—but it's Violet, his Violet, his best friend. <em>I should have been there. I should have opened that damn door. Why did I choose tonight to be a good boyfriend? Why couldn't I just be the good best friend, wrestled Katie to the floor and rescued Violet? I was right there. Right there. Key in the lock, right there. <em>He brushes his hand down across his face and scratches his chin. He blows out a puff of air and looks down at his phone again. He dials the number and puts it to his ear. "Mr. and Mrs. Turner?"

_"Is this Cooper?" _He hears her mother say.

"Yes, Mrs. Turner—."

_"Call me Marianne."_

He swallows. "Marianne, I'm calling for Violet."

_"What'd she do now? Or what boyfriend broke her heart again?"_

"Marianne, Violet was attacked."

_"She was probably asking for it. I always said her skirts were too short."_

"No, I don't mean like that. One of her patients cut her baby out of her and left her for dead on her living room floor."

_"That'll teach her a lesson. Getting knocked up and telling her deranged patients personal information."_

"Are you hearing me? She's lost a lot of blood and she may not make it out of surgery. Do you not get that?"

_"What do you want us to do, Cooper?"_

"I want you to care, I want you to come."

_"We're on vacation in London, son."_

"And Violet's in the OR—she could be dead right now and you won't even hop on a plane to see her?"

_"We booked this vacation months ago and we've been looking forward to it. We can't just hop on a plane whenever our daughter calls SOS. I'm sure she'll be fine, Cooper. We're worried. She's our daughter, but what do you expect us to do?"_

"Unbelievable."

_"Besides, Cooper, our daughter hates us, she's made that abundantly clear. She wouldn't want us there."_

"She would want you to at least care an ounce about her. And she has good reason to hate you. Bye, Marianne. Sorry to have bothered you." He hung up the phone and leaned against the wall. _Wow. Why did I even bother? I'm a fool if I thought that conversation was gonna go any better. Unbelievable. If my daughter had her baby cut out of her and her life hung in the balance, I'd drop everything, no matter where I was or what I was doing, to come. Some people should not be parents. Clearly, DNA doesn't make you a damn parent. Unbelievable._

* * *

><p>Charlotte comes out of a hallway and looks around. She lost Cooper a half hour ago and she knows this has to be hard on him. She's been looking for him, but she hasn't been able to track him down yet. She spots him sitting against the wall and walks over to him. <em>There he is. <em>She nudges him in the leg with her toe. "There's a waiting room," she says as she slides down the wall and sits next to him. "With chairs."

He turns his head. "I had to call Violet's parents. Those people are—okay, yes, they're worried, but they're on vacation in London and they didn't even contemplate getting on an airplane to LA. They didn't even think about it. She was raised by wolves. By intellectual, snooty wolves. I'm basically—I mean, I'm her immediate family." His pager goes off. _I'm not on call! _He shuts it off.

"You're not gonna check it?"

"Nobody wants me treating their kid in this state. The answering service will refer whoever's on call." He pauses. "You know, I was right there. I was at the door. And then you called and I—."

_He better not be blamin' me for this. Isn't this what he wants? Me to call when I need him? Isn't that what boyfriends and girlfriends are s'posed to do? _"I called because I got fired. I called because you're my boyfriend and I needed you."

"No, I'm not blaming you. I'm not saying—it's not your fault. It's my fault. I could've stopped it—."

_Now he wants to be psychic? _"You didn't know."

"I could've saved her."

"You don't know that either."

"If she'd had the baby yesterday like she was supposed to—. She doesn't do anything like she's supposed to." He's not thinking clearly. His mind is all over the place. He's scared and hurt and he just needs to know that Violet's ok.

"Yeah, she's a real bitch that way."

He turns his head and glares at her. _This isn't funny, Charlotte. _

"Just makin' a point."

"Which is?"

_I know he's hurt and sad and whatever, but does he really believe this is his fault, that this is my fault or Violet's fault? _"She's not to blame. I'm not to blame. You're not to blame. The only person that deserves blame is the woman who attacked her and took her baby." She pauses. "You're not a superhero, Coop."

"No, I'm her family." _Does Charlotte not get that? I'm Violet's family._

She sighs and holds out her hand. "Just take my hand and breathe."

He takes her hand and continues to look at his legs.

She hooks her hand around his arm and looks at him. _I hate seein' him like this. She needs to be ok. This'll break him. She needs to be ok. _She rests her head on his shoulder and lets out a breath. "It's gonna be ok, Coop."

He nods, fighting back tears.

She rubs his arm and swallows. _How am I s'posed to convince him he's not a superhero? He couldn't possibly know this was gonna happen. Even if he was there, even if I hadn't called him, who's to say that Katie would have been reckless, cut Violet less precise and killed her and the baby? He doesn't know that. At least he knows where Violet is. At least she's in good hands. I hate seein' him like this. _"Just breathe, Coop. Addison knows what she's doin'."

"And the baby? He's probably dead."

_"_Just breathe. Let the police do their jobs. They'll find him. Just breathe."

He squeezes her hand and kisses the top of her head. "Mmhmm." _I'm glad Char's here. I need her here. _He brushes his thumb against hers and let out a breath. "Thank you."

She nods. "You're welcome." She pauses. "Just squeeze my hand and breathe. Everything will be ok. It has to be."

He nods and leans his head back against the wall, closing his eyes. Hesqueezes her hand tight and lets out a breath. _Everything will be ok. It has to be._

* * *

><p>Cooper, Pete, Sheldon, Sam, and Addison are in the waiting room, contemplating whether or not to save Violet's uterus or take it out and save her. Pete and Sheldon are still competing with each other, while Cooper's minding his own business in a chair, trying to figure out what to do. This isn't exactly good news, but it's not bad news either. She's still alive. Violet is still alive—barely, but she's alive. He's her best friend, but he can't seem to figure out what she'd want. She never wanted kids, she was strongly against them, but now, he wasn't so sure. She'd been carrying this baby for nine months, feeling him kick, seeing him grow, so maybe she has changed her mind, maybe she wants kids after all. She could die if Addison tries to save her uterus, but maybe she'll live. Save her uterus. Save her. He went back and forth, tuning out the conversation in front of him; Sheldon and Pete arguing, Sam and Sheldon just trying to understand, and Addison wanting an answer.<p>

Cooper's pager goes off again and he looks at it before putting it back under his jacket. _Stop paging me. I am not on call. No one wants me treating their kid right now. He'll come in with a broken arm and I'll run a spinal tap. No one wants me near their kid right now—not if they care about him. I wish they would just get the message and stop paging me. _He looks at the ground and breathes in and out.

Addison gets Sheldon and Pete's decision and then turns to Cooper. "Cooper?"

Pete's eyes widen. "Wait, no. What are you asking him for?"

"Because he's her Cooper. To Violet, he's her Cooper. He's her best friend. Cooper?"

He shakes his head, still not sure what to do.

"You know—we don't have time for this."

Addison nods. "Cooper." She takes a breath. "What would Violet want?"

He looks up at her. "She'd want you to try to save her uterus," he finally decides. He looks around and knows everyone is looking at him like he's crazy. "She'd want you to at least give her a shot at whatever she wants." He doesn't know what she wants, not anymore, but at least this way she'll have the option of having another baby—if that's what she wants. She thinks that that's what she wants.

Pete shakes his head. "No. No—."

"You guys love her, I know her. I know every food she likes, I know every thought she's ever had about a guy, including the two of you. I know Violet. This is what she'd want." _Options. That's what she'd want. _

Addison nods. "I'm going to embolize." She turns around and walks out of the room, knowing Pete and Sheldon both object, but Cooper's right. They love her, but he knows her.

Cooper's pager goes off again and he's ready to kill somebody at this point. He picks it up. "Damn it! I am not on call!" He jolts up and puts on his jacket. "I'm gonna take someone's head off, right now," he shouts as he rushes out of the room, to give the nurses a piece of his mind. _Didn't they get the message the first fifty times I didn't answer?_

* * *

><p>Cooper storms into the ER and up to one of the nurses' stations. "Cooper Freedman. You paged me five times. Am I the only pediatrician in Los Angeles? I'm not on call."<p>

"You're the only pediatrician she wants."

Cooper turns his head to where the nurse is pointing. His eyes widen when Katie Kent stands up, holding a baby—Violet's baby. _Oh. _He turns back to the nurse. "Call security now," he whispers. _Thank God. _He pushes away from the counter and walks over to where Katie is standing.

"I heard about Violet on the news. They say she's alive. Is she? Alive?"

He stares at the baby in Katie's arm, his "nephew". He can't stop staring at him. He's alive. He's there. And crazy-cakes Katie is there holding him. _How could someone just cut a baby out of someone, waltz into the hospital, carrying the baby she stole, and keep talking like she's given birth to him? _

Katie smiles, realizing he's staring at the baby. "Oh, I had my baby. He's beautiful, isn't he?"

_Yes, he is. He's beautiful. He's amazing. He's Violet's baby. Nine months he was inside her and now, here he is. I wish I could just snatch the baby out of Katie's arm and run away with him, but I can't. I have to play along with her, pretend this baby is actually hers, that she actually gave birth to him, even though I know she didn't. Talk about off your rocker. _He sits down and watches her intently as she speaks.

"When Violet's better, I want her to see my baby."

Cooper nods—a large nod. He doesn't want to sit here and pretend. He wants to take this baby away and run. He can't believe Katie actually believes what she's saying.

"She's gonna be so surprised."

Cooper bites his lip, keeping silent. He hadn't spoken for a few minutes now, not since he walked over to Katie. He listens as she rambles on about the baby—"her" baby.

"Everyone thought it was a girl, but I had a boy."

_I can't keep quiet forever. _He takes a deep breath. "And, um, is he healthy? What did the doctor say? The doctor who delivered him."

Clearly Katie wasn't expecting that. She stalls for a second and then answers. "Um, he's fine. He's perfect."

_I need to figure out a way to get her to give me the baby. Ah, I got it. _"I just ask because he looks a little pale. Do you mind if I check him out?" Cooper puts his phone in his pocket and then notices Pete coming towards them, fire in his eyes. Cooper knows Pete wants to punch Katie in the face and take the baby away from her, but Cooper can't let him do that. Not yet. Not until security shows up. Cooper stands up and walks over to Pete, stopping him halfway. "Pete. Hey, Pete, um, Katie had her baby. Isn't that great?" He walks over to Katie with Pete behind him. "Um, does he look slightly pale to you?"

Pete glances down. "Yes, he does. It could indicate hemolysis. You should check him out."

"Yeah," Cooper agrees. He hates that he has to pretend, feeding into Katie's hysteria.

"What does that mean? Hemolysis?"

Cooper leans forwards a little. "It's a breakdown of the red blood cells. It happens in newborns. They used to die from it, but it's very treatable now."

"Well, he cries if anyone else touches him, so—."

"Well, Katie, Cooper just wants to help. Look, I know you. I know how much you wanted to have this baby. How much you want it to be healthy." It's silent for a few seconds. Pete looks at Cooper and then back at Katie. "Katie, look at me." He smiles, playing along. "You need to let Cooper make sure. It's gonna be fine. Just have a little faith."

Cooper nods.

Katie hesitantly hands Cooper the baby boy in her arms. "Be careful. Hold his head."

"Hey, you little guy. Let's check you out." He takes the baby from her and cradles him. "I got him. I got him." He moves away from Katie, keeping the baby close to his chest.

The security guards come and all hell breaks loose. Katie screams that they're stealing her baby, Pete screams back at her saying it's not her baby and the guards handcuff her and sit her down on the chair.

Cooper stands there, looking at the baby. _No, Addison. The baby's fine. She needs to save Violet. I don't care about her uterus. _He hands the baby to Pete. "I have to stop Addison." He bolts off out of the room.

* * *

><p>Cooper's standing in the OR, looking at the baby on the table. His spleen is torn and he needs surgery. He's waiting for Addison to start the procedure. Charlotte walks in and stands next to Cooper. "Coop."<p>

"If I'd answered one of those pages—. I mean, oh my God, how much time did I waste? How long was she waiting?"

Charlotte knows that there's nothing she can say that's going to make Cooper feel any better about the situation. She sort of agrees with him. He should have checked, but at least Katie stayed, she waited for him. Charlotte rests her hand on his arm and rubs up and down. "He's gonna be ok. It doesn't matter."

He nods. "If I'd answered one of those pages, I could have—."

"But you answered one of them. The baby is in our hands now, Coop. Katie is with hospital security. Have faith. Addison's a brilliant surgeon. The baby will be fine. Just breathe. The baby is in good hands now. The baby is safe. You know where he is."

"But—."

"No, buts, Coop. I know it's hard. The what ifs only serve the purpose of stressin' you out more. Forget the what ifs, focus on what is."

He nods and takes a breath. "He's going to be fine. She's going to be fine. Everything's going to be fine," he says, each a half-question.

"He's gonna be fine. She's gonna be fine. Everything's gonna be fine," she answers.

He nods and lets out a breath behind his mask. "Ok."

"Just breathe."

"I have to go."

"Cooper—."

"I'm ok. I need to take a walk. You stay here. Let me know what's happening."

She nods and he walks out of the OR, passing Addison on the way out.

* * *

><p>Several minutes later, Cooper walks into the waiting room and sits down next to Dell, who's sitting there with his daughter, Betsy, who's resting her head on his leg and sleeping. He looks up at Cooper. "How are they?"<p>

Cooper shakes his head. "I don't know." _I don't know 'cause I'm not there. I can't be there. I caused this. If I had opened that door, if I had answered one of those pages—. _He leaned back in the chair and closes his eyes. He doesn't want to be here. He wishes he didn't have to be here, that none of this happened.

"She was crying when I came back from the OR," Dell says, speaking about Betsey. "I shouldn't have brought her. I put her through all this waiting and worrying and—. I didn't have anywhere else to take her. What am I doing, Cooper?" He pauses. "You know, I mean, I got her back and it's everything I wanted and—." He sighs and looks at her.

"What?"

"This is not what I should be worrying about right now."

"Are you kidding me? It's exactly what you should be worrying about right now. This little girl, man. This is your priority."

"Yeah. Yeah." He laughs. "I mean, I am a 25-year-old single father."

Cooper nods. "Yeah."

"You know? I'm responsible for her. I mean, how am I gonna do this right, without, you know, screwing her up?"

"You just love her." _Plain and simple. _"And you ask for help." He nods. "You ask us for help. Take some time off, get—get her settled in. Do what you need to do, you know? We're gonna be here waiting when you come back."

"You guys would let me take time off?"

"We're your family. You can't do it alone. You know, you're just human, Dell. You know, you're not a superhero."

"Ok."

"You know, just breathe." _I wish I could follow Charlotte's advice. Instead I have to tell other people the same thing and I hope they can follow it. I'm not a superhero and I just need to breathe, but I can't. I could have saved her. This wouldn't have happened if I just opened that door. We wouldn't be here if I had just opened that door and saved her. _"Why don't you go see Violet. I got Betsey."

"Yeah. You sure?"

"Yeah.

"Ok, thanks." Dell stands up and walks out of the room, passing Charlotte on the way out.

Cooper rubs his hand across his face and closes his eyes.

* * *

><p>Charlotte walks in and stands in front of him, her hands in her lab coat pockets. "Why don't you go up there? Everyone else is there."<p>

He brushes his hand against Betsey's hair, and looks at the little girl. "No, I'm good here."

"She could wake up. She'd want you there."

"I'm good here." _I did this. I don't deserve to see her._

Charlotte sits down next to him and crosses her legs. She looks at him and blinks slowly. She hates seeing him like this—so hurt, scared, and guilty. She wishes she could do something. She's not a touchy-feely-talkin'-expressin' kind of person, but for once, she wishes she could say the right thing and take all this pain away from him, but alas, she can't. There's nothing she can do.

He reaches over and takes her hand. He squeezes it and turns his head, finally looking at her.

She smiles and squeezes back. _I guess I can do this._

"I know she could wake up, and she'd want me there. She'll be looking for me when she wakes up—if she wakes up."

"You had it right the first time, Coop. She will wake up."

He nods and looks back at Betsey. He lets out a few breaths and leans back on the chair.

"Just breathe, Coop."

He nods. "Mmhmm."

She rests her head on his shoulder and lets out a breath. "I'm here."

He smiles. "Thank you."

_This is what I can do. He'll be ok. He'll come around eventually. He'll realize he's not to blame, that I'm not to blame, that no one is to blame but the woman who attacked Violet. I can do this. I can hold his hand and tell him to breath, tell him it's ok, that it's gonna be ok. That's what I can do. That's about all I can do. _She kisses his shoulder when she knows no one is watching and lifts her head. She leans back on the chair and lets out a breath. She clasps his hand with both of hers and turns her head to look at him. "It's ok, Coop. She's gonna be fine. The baby is just fine."

He nods and keeps his eyes on Betsey. "Just sit here with me, please."

She smiles. "I am." She drops her hand and rubs his back, squeezing his shoulder once, twice, three times. "I will."

"Thank you." He closes his eyes and leans back on the chair. _I hope Violet's gonna be ok. I know she'd want me there. I want to be there, but I can't. Not right now. This is my fault. No matter what Charlotte says—this is my fault. I'm her family. I'm supposed to protect her, I'm supposed to know these things, I'm supposed to save her. _He lets out a breath and swallows hard. _Charlotte helps, but she doesn't make up for the fact that this is my fault. It will always be my fault. Even if Violet's ok, it's still my fault. _He drops his hand and rubs his face, scratching at his stubble. _It's my fault. It's Charlotte's fault. It's Violet's fault. It's Katie's fault. It's everyone's fault. I wish this never happened. _He stands up and takes a deep breath.

"Where are you goin'?"

He shrugs.

"Go visit her, Coop. You'll regret it."

He nods.

"I'll go with you."

He shakes his head. "You have to watch Betsey."

"Me?"

He sits back down. "Never mind." He runs his fingers through Betsey's hair.

Dell walks back into the room, a faint smile on his face. "Violet's awake."

Cooper's eyes widen and he turns to look at Dell. "What?"

"Violet's awake. She's asking for you, Coop."

He nods.

"You go. I'll stay with my daughter. I should take her home anyway. It's late. Go. See Violet." He walks into the waiting area and scoops up Betsey, letting her collapse against him.

Charlotte stands up. "Come on, Coop."

He nods and pushes himself up to his feet. He takes Charlotte's hand and lets out a breath.

She rests her hand on his back and rubs up and down. "It's gonna be ok, Coop. She's awake."

He nods and they walk out of the waiting room.

She knows he still feels guilty. Nothing's going to change that but time. She sighs and they go upstairs to visit Violet.

* * *

><p><em>again. sorry for the long time between updates. <em>

_Please review. :)_


	23. Dayold Dishwater and Martinis

_Saw this story floating around on my computer, so I decided to update it. :)_

* * *

><p>Cooper and Sam are standing around the island in the kitchen at Oceanside Wellness. Cooper's eating strawberries out of a bowl, stabbing his fork into the fruit. "You need to hire a new doctor, Sam. There's an empty office that isn't bringing in any money."<p>

Sam looks at him. "It's not the right time."

"When is the right time? There's an empty office. What are you waiting for? It to be infested with cobwebs?"

Sam makes a face.

"Oh, you're waiting for Naomi to decide she made a mistake?"

Sam stays silent.

"Naomi isn't going to change her mind. We need to hire someone."

"Why?"

"Because it's time."

Addison walks into the kitchen. "Time for what?"

"Cooper thinks we should hire a new doctor."

"I think it's time to move on."

"I don't wanna rush into anything. When we find—if we find someone, I want it to be the right person."

Cooper looks at Addison. "Addison, explain to the man that married his college sweetheart that the best way to get over a breakup is to move fast, throw yourself into a relationship. I mean, drunken, impulsive, rebound hiring."

Addison lets out a soft chuckle.

"Naomi is gone, man. You gotta let it go." Cooper looks between the two doctors beside him. It's eerily quiet. "What is wrong with you two?" _Ok, this is weird. _"What?"

Addison lets out a breath. "We made a pact."

"Addison and I are ignoring our problems," Sam elaborates.

"We are not going to talk or think about our problems anymore."

Sam shakes his head in agreement.

"Nothing even close to thinking or talking about our problems," Addison adds.

"We're gonna be strong."

"Strong," she echoes.

"In denial, but strong."

"Strong," she says again.

Cooper eats a strawberry and looks between Sam and Addison. "Yeah, well, that's, um, you know, stupid. You need to talk about stuff."

"Really?" Sam asks.

"Mmhmm."

"Ok, well, how's Violet, Coop?"

Cooper stares at him. _I guess, well, um—crap. _"Good, she's good."

"Is she?" Sam asks.

"Uh-huh," Addison adds.

"Leave me alone. I've sent stuff. I've sent brownies and flowers and some very thoughtfully worded emails. I will get to Violet's. I'm giving her some space." _They have no right to judge. _His pager goes off on the counter and he picks up his phone. He presses a button and reads it. "Ok, you know what? I have to get to the ER. You two, don't talk about me while I'm gone, ok? It's rude." _Talk about your problems instead._

* * *

><p>Cooper walks through the ER entrance and pulls down his sunglasses. He walks over to Charlotte, who's standing there with a patient chart. "Aw, you waited for me." He leans over and places a soft peck on her lips.<p>

She pulls back and looks around. _What is he doin'? I'm workin'. There are people around. What was he thinkin'?_

"I like dating the Chief of Staff. I get special service."

She's a little frazzled, trying to regain her composure, her professionalism. She lets out a breath and starts walking with him down the hallway.

"What do you got for me? Some kid stick a marble up his nose?"

She rolls her eyes, still not over the fact that he kissed her in front of her staff, in public, in her hospital while she was on duty. "Not exactly. Eleven year-old's dad threw her across the room, probably broke her arm. Mom looks like she was in a prizefight. Dad won the first round, but Mom threw the knockout." She hands over the chart. "Fun times."

He looks down and looks through it. He stops walking and furrows his brows. "Wait a minute, the Larsens? My Larsens?" He reads the information, still trying to believe it. "Tammy and her parents?" _They're like the perfect family. _They walk through the double doors. "Page Sam _and_ Addison. Michelle's pregnant."

_ Double whammy._ Charlotte nods and stands back while Cooper goes over to Tammy and her mom.

Cooper stands by Michelle while the father gets wheeled down the hallway.

"I stabbed him—I stabbed my husband."

_Charlotte was right about the knockout. _He stares in disbelief. _The Larsons. My Larsons. This doesn't seem real. My Larsons._

* * *

><p>Cooper stabilizes Tammy's arm and takes her to her mom. Just when they get there, a few cops are cuffing Michelle to her wheelchair and arresting her. Cooper quickly takes Tammy away and gets her settled into a room, a little confused as to what's happening.<p>

Word gets around that Cooper is using a hospital room for his patient with a broken arm. She doesn't need a bed, at least that's how Charlotte sees it. She walks over to Cooper and looks at him. "You want me to give up a hospital bed for a kid with a broken arm?"

"She's ten years old, dad hit her and she just watched her mom get hauled off by the cops."

_He can't be serious. _"All good material for a country song, but lousy on a medical report."

_Why doesn't she get it? _He lets out a breath and rubs his eyes.

She looks him up and down. "You look like day-old dishwater, Coop. Why don't you go grab a shoulder, get some rest? Done all you can here."

"No, she's my patient, and I should have known what was going on. I could have stopped this."

_Of course. Shoulda known. _"When are you goin' to Violet's to get your stuff?"

_Not her too. _"Oh, Charlotte, come on."

"Have you talked to her?"

"This is not about Violet, ok? I haven't shaved and my shirt's a little wrinkled, but beneath the depressed hobo look, I am fine."

_Real convincin', Coop. _"You're fine? You haven't seen Violet since she got home. You lived with her for six months and now you can't even pick up a clean shirt? You won't talk about it." _Yeah, he's fine. _

_ Like she has the right to judge me. _"Like you talk about getting fired?"

_Humph. _"I'm doin' my job, Cooper. The one I have left. My problems aren't gettin' in the way of that."

He scoffs. _Yeah, ok, Char. You're fine too. We're all freaking fine. You called me, in tears, 'cause you got fired, now you're ok and your problems aren't getting in the way of that. Ok. _He straightens up. "I have a patient."

She rolls her eyes as he walks into Tammy's room. _He's not fine. _She walks away towards her office, not in the mood to deal with him—knowing he won't listen.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Cooper finds Charlotte outside. He runs over to her and stands there, looking down at her. <em>She's gonna bitch at me for interrupting her, but whatever. Let her bitch. <em> "Hey, there's a juvie officer here that wants to take Tammy. I need you to let me keep her in the hospital for another 48 hours." _A simple request. Just a bed for two days._

_He can't be serious. He just can't. _"You did not just interrupt my dinner to ask me to hide your patient from the law."

_ Saw that coming._ "Do you really think putting an 11 year-old girl in jail is the right thing to do?"

_Who care how old she is? She broke the law. End of story. _"She stabbed her father." _He's an idiot. What did he expect me to say? _

"So let's help her. Let's not throw her to the wolves and just hope they decide to raise her. "You're not Social Services. You fixed her arm, you did your job. Look, I feel bad for the kid too—."

_Could have fooled me._ He sits down and looks directly at her."Do you? Because it's like nothing bothers you—"

_Where is he goin' with this?"_

"It's like you didn't get fired, like Violet didn't almost die. It's like—."

_Right. Of course. _"It's like I'm heartless?"

He looks at her and then his pager goes off. He rolls his eyes and stands up. _Should have figured this would lead nowhere. _He walks away, heading back to the hospital.

Charlotte sucks on the inside of her bottom lip and looks down at the file she was reading before Cooper interrupted her. _What does he want me to do? I can't bend the rules 'cause he's my boyfriend. If I did that, I'd have to do it with everybody. He seriously doesn't expect me to do that. I care about the kid, but my hands are tied. She stabbed her father. She broke the law. If we helped every criminal instead of throwin' 'em to the wolves, there would be no need for jails. And Violet? Just 'cause I'm not goin' all caveman and livin' like a hobo doesn't mean I don't care. He hasn't seen or talked to her in a month, and he has the nerve to call me heartless? He's too involved with Tammy. He needs to step back and let Social Services and the cops deal with it. _She pauses in thought. _I know he's goin' through whatever he's goin' through, but that's no excuse. He needs to breathe and just let things happen how they'll happen. _She lets out a breath and finishes eating her dinner. She only has five more minutes left of her break.

* * *

><p>The next day, Charlotte drives to Violet's. If Cooper won't man up and visit Violet, then she will. Someone has to get his clothes, and this way she can give Cooper an update on how Violet's doing. She opens the side door, using Cooper's key, and walks down the hallway. She turns the corner and clutches her purse, startled by the sudden appearance of Violet with a baby rattle aimed at her. <em>Whoa, ok.<em>

Violet takes a few deep breaths, realizing it's just Charlotte. "Oh, oh, I almost killed you with an educational rattle."

_She's worse than I thought. _"Sorry. I didn't knock in case you were sleepin'. I just came to get Cooper's clothes."

"Yeah, and to check up on me, make sure I'm not crazy. I know the drill."

Charlotte looks around and swallows. _Ok, maybe that too, but for Cooper. _

"What? Do you want to hold the baby?"

_This is me she's talkin' to. _"Do I look like someone who wants to hold a baby? I'm wearin' silk." She looks around again and focuses on Violet. "Are you breastfeeding?"

"No. No, I'm not. You know, a lot of women don't breastfeed. I don't need to breastfeed. Like I should feel bad about it? I am so sick of people trying to make me feel like what I feel isn't what I should feel. If that makes any sense. No, no, Charlotte, I'm not breastfeeding, ok?"

_Is she done? _"What you do with your boobs is your business. I only asked because you look like you need a martini and if you're not breastfeedin', you can have a martini. Do you want a martini?" _Does she know who I am? Like I care if she breastfeeds. Her boobs, her baby, her business. _

Violet lets out a breath. "Yeah, please."

Charlotte smiles and walks into the kitchen. _Yeah, she's crazy—justifiably so, but still, crazy. _

Charlotte and Violet are sitting on the couch. Charlotte holds up her martini glass and stares at the clear liquid. "I like gin. Gin is good."

"Gin _is_ good," Violet agrees.

_Gin is great. _She lowers her glass and looks at Violet. "So, what's wrong with you?"

Violet just looks at her.

_Aside from the obvious. _"I mean other than the whole "psycho chopped the baby out of your belly and ran" thing."

Violet laughs. "Other than that? Is—is—? Is there something other than that?"

"You tell me." She pauses. "Hey, I'm just a chick with a drink. No judgments."

Violet stares down into her lap, her mouth hung open.

"Oh, I get it. You don't wanna open up to me. I know I'm not the touchy-feely type. I got fired for bein' heartless." She takes a sip of her drink. "And Cooper apparently agrees. Maybe he's right." She lets out a breath through her nose and stares out in front of her. _Once you got a reputation, guess everyone believes it._

Violet leans forward and sets her glass on the table, turning to face Charlotte. "It's the baby."

_Ok, maybe she will talk to me. _She turns her head. "He have eleven toes or somethin'? _A completely logical question._

"Oh, no, no, he's—he's perfect. He's absolutely perfect. He's the baby in the commercial, he's so perfect. And I—I look at him and I feel nothing."

Charlotte bends her arm and leans into her hand, her palm pressed against her neck. She leans her head towards Violet, curious to what she'll say next.

"I can't—feel anything. Ever since the—."

Charlotte sucks on the inside her lip and looks away.

"There's this pressure to be all mommy, and I'm just not. I'm not ready or something. I just—I don't—I don't wanna deal with him. I just wanna stick him in the freezer. Maybe thaw him out later when I'm ready to deal with him."

_Violet has a dark side. _Charlotte listens, taking in all that Violet's saying.

"That's a horrible thing to say, isn't it?"

"Yes." _It is, indeed a horrible thing to say._

"Oh."

"But the horrible things, they're things that need to be said." _See, I can give advice like the best of 'em._

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot." _What's more talkin' and expressin'?_

"Where the hell is Cooper?"

_Knew that one was comin'. _She lets out a breath. "He's busy savin' a patient. Tryin' to make up for the fact that he didn't save you." She takes a sip of her Martini.

"What?"

_Mmhmm. _

"Is he blaming himself for—?"

"Except for the part he blames on me." She pauses. "I called him that night. I was the reason he didn't walk in that door and save you." She swallows and bites the inside of her lip.

The room falls silent, Violet staring at Charlotte, Charlotte staring out in front of her.

_I really know how to silent a room. _

Violet picks up her glass, finishes the bit of drink left, and hands it out for Charlotte. "Then I guess you owe me."

Charlotte blinks and turns her head. "I guess so." She pauses. "I've been tryin' to get Cooper over here."

Violet nods. "I guess it's good that he has you."

"You know Cooper better than I do. Do you think he'll forgive me? I mean, for callin' him that night—you think he'll get over it?"

"He doesn't really blame you. He shouldn't."

Charlotte sighs. "Yeah. So, Martini number two comin' right up."

"Keep them coming."

"Gin solves everythin'. That's my philosophy."

"I'm a believer."

Charlotte laughs and disappears into the kitchen. She walks back out and hands Violet a full glass before sitting down. "So you wanna put the baby in the freezer, huh?"

"Pete doesn't get it. He just left, walked out the front door and I don't think he's coming back."

"Men." She laughs and takes a sip of her fresh Martini. "You know, Cooper hasn't showered in days, still wearin' the same shirt. He's all scruffy and rough on the eyes. He's startin' to smell too. It's becomin' a problem. "

Violet laughs.

"But hey, he cares, I guess I should be happy 'bout that, 'cept he doesn't care about me, so maybe not."

"He cares about you, Charlotte."

"He's got a funny way of showin' it." She looks at her watch. "I should go, get Coop's things, and go."

"Yeah. Upstairs in the guestroom closet."

"I know, Violet."

"Right."

She stands up and disappears upstairs. She walks back down with Cooper's shirts and sees that Violet has gone into the kitchen. She opens the door and Cooper's standing there, been outside for five minutes, flipping his keys around, debating whether to go inside, and working up the nerve to open the door. She holds his shirts against her chest. _He came. _

Cooper laughs under his breath and faintly smiles back at her, sort of surprised that she's there. _I guess she does care. _

They exchange looks before Charlotte speaks. "Violet's in the kitchen."

He nods and walks inside, while Charlotte disappears towards her car.

* * *

><p>Charlotte's sitting on the edge of Cooper's bed, unbuttoning her shirt.<p>

Cooper comes out of the bathroom and sits down next to her. He stops her. "Wait."

She rolls her eyes. _Oh, here we go. _"What, Coop?"

"Why did you go over to Violet's?"

"To see the bearded lady and the lions with their crazy tricks."

"I'm serious."

She grunts. "I went over there to get your shirts 'cause you weren't doin' it."

"Mmhmm, sure."

She pushes his hand away and starts unbuttoning her shirt again, brushing it off her shoulders, exposing her black laced bra underneath. She drops her silk shirt on the floor and turns her body towards him. She leans forward, closing the gap between their lips. She presses down, framing his face in her hands and leaning further into the kiss.

He swallows and pulls back.

She groans and pulls up on his belt.

He pulls her hand away. "We need to talk about you getting fired."

"We already did. I dealt with it, I'm movin' on, and I'm tryin' to screw." She replaces her hand, but he holds her back. She stands up and throws her arms in the air. "What?"

He just looks at her.

"You know what? I'm goin' home. If I'm not gettin' laid tonight, I'm leavin'."

"Why don't you talk to me?"

"Last time I checked, we are talkin'. Now do you want to screw or not?"

He flops back on the bed and grunts. "What'd you and Violet talk about?"

"Stickin' babies in freezers."

"Can't you just be serious for once in your life?"

"I am bein' serious. We talked about stuffin' Lucas in the freezer and thawin' him out when Violet was ready to deal with 'im."

"Of course you did."

"We did." She crawls into bed and lies on top of him. She kisses him down his neck, letting her tongue poke against his skin. "This is my final offer, Coop." She pulls her lips back and inches closer to his mouth, kissing him.

He reciprocates the kiss. "You're gonna have to talk to me eventually."

"Well, right now, right now, we screw." She laughs and kisses him harder. "You ok with that?"

He nods. "Uh-huh." He lets out a breath and gives into her kisses, melting into the mattress as she lies on top of him. He needs a good distraction. Between Violet, Tammy, and the horrible pep talks he's been gettin' from Addison and Sam the past couple days, he needs it. And let's face it, Charlotte is a damn good distraction.

* * *

><p><em>next chapter with be the next two episodes combined.<em>

_review :)_


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